ARBORICULTURE OF THE COUNTY OF KENT. 1 5 7 



which is as follows : Trees under 10 cubic feet of timber sell at 

 2s. per foot for top, lop, and bark ; from 10 feet to 30 feet of tim- 

 ber, 2s. 6d. per foot ; and trees measuring 30 feet and upwards are 

 sold at 3s. per foot, the purchaser felling the timber and barking 

 the trees, which is clone for 32s. per ton of bark. For felling the 

 trees, and stripping and drying the bark, the men are paid by the 

 tanyard weight which is in Mid-Kent. 



Some foresters may say that oak bark cannot be peeled for the 

 money. I know from experience that in Scotland it costs double 

 the money, but in the south of England the bark strips much more 

 easily, and one man can strip a ton with greater ease than 10 cwts. 

 in Scotland. 



The tops of the trees are then made into faggots and cordwood, 

 the smaller branches and spray into house faggots, at 4s. per 100, 

 and sold at 22s. ; the larger branches are cut into 3 feet lengths, 

 and piled up 3 feet high and 14 feet long, called a cord of wood, and 

 sold at 22 s. for firewood, or charcoal for drying hops, and large 

 quantities are sent to London. 



The timber merchant can clear away the top and the bark when 

 it is dry, but leaves the trees to be measured by the forester immedi- 

 ately afterwards, and pays by bill at three, six, or nine months' date. 



The oak timber of Kent is of first quality, and generally grows 

 to large dimensions. Trees measuring 300 to 400 cubic feet of 

 timber are frequently seen, and trees ranging from 80 to 130 cubic 

 feet of timber, and about the same number of years' growth, are 

 annually cut. These are found on a good, deep, clay loam. But 

 the oaks growing on sandy soil are subject to coult and ring- 

 shakes, which greatly reduce the value. I have often had to 

 allow one-third where some trees were a mere bundle of laths. 

 As the wood-merchant fells the trees, strips the bark, cuts up the 

 top, and clears off the whole at his own expense, the price at which 

 the timber is sold is the net revenue. 



On some estates the timber is sold by public auction, but it is 

 not a satisfactory system in this part of England, as the timber 

 merchants are able to arrange before the sale which lot each is to 

 buy, and in nine cases out of ten they have the oak at three- 

 fourths its value. 



The following winter all vacant spaces in the wood are planted with 

 Spanish chestnut, ash, willow, or alder, as the ground is adapted 

 for each tree, at the price of Is. Gd. per 100 for digging the pits 

 and planting ; and even at this low price men can earn from 3s. 



VOL. VIII., PART II. L 



