100 The yo2irnal of Forestry. 



by piece work. Another fact which favours peeling here by the piece 

 is that, for^the sake of the underwood, the oaks are severely thinned, 

 which gives more scope for falling. 



As to the best way of drying bark, it will be as well not to lay 

 down a rule as applicable to all cases, as climate differs a good deal 

 here from Scotland, and what is suitable for one place may not be 

 the best in another under different circumstances. In the south of 

 England I believe the prevailing custom is to drive in a row of forked 

 stakes, laying^a pole in the forks, making the range any length that 

 may be required, and ranging the bark one end on the ground, the 

 other leaning against the poles, making both sides equal, and the 

 whole capped with large pieces to turn off the rain. This system 

 admits a current of air to pass through the middle of the range of 

 bark. When the weather is fine, coppice bark ranged in this way is 

 frequently ready for the rick in eight days without having to be turned, 

 which is a consideration not only in point of time, but bark when 

 moved about in a half-dried state is more liable to spoil should rain 

 set in. Another way is to lay a quantity of brushwood in a line, and 

 pile the bark on the top of it, but managed in this way it never dries 

 equally unless turned several times. Another method is to drive in 

 a double row of forked stakes about 30 inches apart and opposite each 

 other, laying a short piece crossways in the forks, and lengthways 

 laying long poles, forming a sort of platform or stage. In this way the 

 bark is from 2 to 3 feet from the ground, bein^ laid about 18 inches 

 thick all along the stage. In this way I have managed bark in 

 Scotland very successfully, turning it once and covering with the 

 largest pieces, but having tried this plan alongside the method first 

 mentioned, I did not find any advantage, while turning was requisite 

 and the range took more time to make, and I now adopt the first 

 described method in preference. 



It may be objected that the bark by standing with one end on the 

 ground will retain the moisture, but I have not found that to be the 

 case, and if rain comes, the water does not lodge in the bark so much 

 as when laid in a horizontal position. In conclusion, I may state that 

 we find it best to commence peeling whenever the earliest of the trees 

 will peel, leaving the backward ones until another course. By so 

 doing, hammering is avoided, and one hammered tree would mar the 

 look of a load of bark, and if rain set in would be sure to spoil ; and the 

 time taken to get the bark off a tree that requires hammering may be 

 set against the time occupied in going over the ground twice, while 

 the bark will be got off in larger pieces, which is a consideration where 

 large ricks have to be made. This year, owing to ungenial weather, 

 the flow of the sap has up to this date been very unsatisfactory, 



J. H. 



