Square timber was more economical to ship overseas than logs because it could be efficiently packed into the holds of ships constructed with their doors in the bow especially for the timber trade. Square timber was rafted more easily than logs since it could be securely held together in cribs for running the river and the slides. Pointed ends (butts) protected the sticks from being damaged on the rocks and reefs and expedited their passage down the rivers. These were removed before the timber was loaded on the ships.
The Ottawa Citizen of August 11, 1869 reported that only about four to five per cent of the trees in the pine stands were suitable for squaring.
