[ Correspondents sending letters signed with initials or fictitious names are 

 requested to enclose their name and address, as otheriuise their commimications 

 cannot he inserted?^ 



AXE HANDLES. 



SiE, — I have been not a little interested in the correspondence between 

 Messrs. King and Kay about the axe head and mode of shafting it. I see 

 that Mr. King gives such explanations at page 474 as make his illustra- 

 tion No. 3 a little clearer, but I must say that my experience is in favour 

 of Mr. Kay's mode of shafting — having the reed of the handle in line with 

 the edge of the blade, and the wedge inserted in line with both ; also I 

 prefer the bent handle to the straight one, if the tree is to belaid in for the 

 saw, as the operator can level his hand better with it. 



James Craig. 

 Weston, SJdfnal, Salop, 12th Nor., 1877. 



Sir, — Every man's opinion is his own peculiar privilege, although to 

 others its worth may be scarcely equivalent to the cost of the paper upon 

 which he indites it. However, before we assert and confidently insist on 

 any particular implement being superior to all others, we ought first to 

 give each a practical test under unbiassed circumstances, to see wherein it 

 excels or fails. Having been a bit of an observant traveller, I have come 

 across woodmen ever ready with their own views of such tools, and I have 

 no doubt such would smile at Mr. Gladstone's name being mixed up with 

 chopping timber. Without waiting for drawings of " softwood " axes, I will 

 here state that I can see no reason why there should be any difference in 

 the sliape of felling axes, unless to please mere fancy, and fancy is no 

 criterion. A¥ith reference to the breaking of handles, I never found a 

 skilled workman smash his shaft ; on the contrary, I have known a shaft 

 made out of a common Scots fir slab last a year, constantly at work, with- 

 out breaking. D. Sym Scott. 



Ballinacourte, Tipperary. 



