204 BARK-STRIPPING AND TIMBER-FELLING. [Jam. 



as quickly dies out, as reports from Texas say it is now doing. On 

 eating the pods, human experimentalists have felt similar effects to 

 those of opium. Be this as it may, the effects of its bitter extract 

 on horses has not been explained. Dr. Aitken, chemist to the 

 Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, is now making a 

 botanical and chemical investigation of the plant, which will doubt- 

 less shed further light on it. 



In other districts besides Texas, such as Xew Mexico aud Cali- 

 fornia, other leguminous plants are known to " loco " horses. These 

 are Oxytro'pis Lamhertii, Soplwra scricca (or silky sophora), and S. 

 speciosa ; and while other plants of the same tribe have gained a 

 similar evil reputation, it is doubtful if their effects arise from 

 narcotic alkaloids they contain, or from indigestion in the recij)ient 

 animal. In any case, prevention is better than cure. Horses suffer 

 most from "loco" in winter and earl}' spring ; so a sufficient supply 

 of good fodder might remove them from the necessity of eating so 

 dangerous plants. 



BARK-STRIPPIXG AND TIMBER-FELLING. 



THE felling of the oak gives much anxiety, from all portions of 

 it being economically useful. The properties of the bark so 

 useful to the tanner can only be retained by properly securing 

 it at only one period of the year, when it contains such chemical 

 substances for only a very short period ; while, strange to say, 

 only then can the bark be separated from it. This is in the 

 pleasant spring. Those trees which are intended to be felled 

 require at tliis season to be very carefull}' watched, and from 

 day to day tested by cutting off a small strip of the bark ; and 

 whenever it is found that the bark will come off, the tree must 

 be felled. The coat is then rapidly torn from the trunk with 

 tools made for the purpose. It is only at the jjeriod between 

 the first growth of the season and the breaking out of the bud 

 — particularly so in the south — that bark possesses the tanning 

 properties, and can be peeled ; whicli season only lasts from perhaps 

 a week to a fortnight, according to the weather. A small pile of 

 twigs is loosely raised up, and in many parts of England rude 

 benches are made, and the bark is there spread out to dry and 

 season, but in such a way that the rain will readily run off it. If 

 it is carelelessly spread out, in such a way that drops of rain may 

 lodge on any piece, it will in a day or two grow mouldy and 

 become useless. If the weather is favourable and dry, the harvest- 

 ing may be sufficient with a fortnight's drying ; but in a wet season, 



