1885.] OAK COPPICE. 495 



lichens ; it becomes rough in the exterior at a much earlier age. 

 On such inhospitable soils we have seen instances where it would 

 have been a decided advantage to the proprietor to have it cut over 

 at fifteen years instead of leaving it for twenty; generally it 

 should be cut over as soon as the annual growths begin to show 

 signs of decreasing in vigour ; it has certainly been left too long if 

 the shoots have begun to dwindle to a dwarfish curled spray. 

 When they are not cut over till this stunted state of growth has 

 taken place, tlie value of the Ijark will be considerably lessened, as 

 there will be a deficiency of circulating sap. The liher or inner 

 bark of these stunted trees is thin, and contains but little tannic 

 acid ; it takes a greater quantity to make a ton, and a limited 

 supply of ascending sap makes its removal difficult and expensive. 

 The rate of growth on poor soils and exposed situations is at best 

 generally slow, and long exposure impairs the vital energies of the 

 tree, gradually causing it to become stunted and hide-bound ; 

 consequently it is also most profitable to cut over these early. 



Time for Bakking. — On suitable soils the barlv is generally at 

 its best after tw-enty years' growth. At tliis period, if the trees are 

 in vigorous growth, the bark contains a greater proportion of tannic 

 acid than at any other time. Tlie bark of old trees of slow and 

 impaired growth is generally thick in the cuticle (or corky bark), 

 consequently it is of less value to the tanner ; but even old trees, 

 that have but a thin exterior bark and a greater proportion of 

 cellular matter, are often deficient in circulating sap ; therefore 

 there is but a small proportion of tannic acid found in the bark. 

 Generally speaking, the best bark is obtained from trees that are 

 in a healthy growing condition, which not only have a large supply 

 of ascending sap, but a greater thickness of liher to retain the sap 

 as it ascends. It is during the ascent of the sap before the leaves 

 have expanded that most tannic acid is present. After the leaves 

 have fully expanded, the quality of the bark is not nearly so good. 

 When the ascending sap reaches the fully-expanded leaves, exposure 

 to the atmosphere causes it to be carbonized, and the cambium as it 

 descends gives the inner layers of the bark a brown colour. Bark 

 peeled after this takes place is comparatively deficient in astringent 

 matter, and it takes a greater bulk of it to make a ton ; and another 

 disadvantage is, that the late cut stools send up much weaker 

 shoots than those that are cut in the early part of the season. 



Method of Cutting. — After determining the most suitable time 

 at which the coppice is to be cut, the first thing to be done is to go 

 over the plantation and select a few of the best-looking and most 

 tree-like shoots, and mark them with paint, to be left at intervals 

 over the whole of the ground ; these should not exceed twenty to 



