BARK. 151 



observation are the following : — A larch tree contain- 

 ing 36 cubic feet of timber yields 16 stones of green 

 bark, equal to 9 st. 7 lbs. dry. One square foot of 

 bark, taken from the tree one foot above the ground 

 weighed i lb. 14 oz. green, and i lb. 4 oz. dry. One 

 square foot from the middle of the tree weighed i lb. 

 3 oz. green, and 1 2 oz. dry. One square foot from 

 near the top of the tree weighed i lb. 2 oz. green, and 

 I 5 oz. dry. 



In stripping larch bark none is taken from the 

 branches of the trees, but only from the stem ; and 

 in stripping it the mell or mallet is seldom found 

 necessary, as when cut into lengths upon the tree it 

 comes off easily with the chisel. It is more easily har- 

 vested than that of the oak, and is treated much in the 

 same manner as the birch or willow, being seldom put 

 upon a stage, and is generally either carted off to the 

 tanyard at once, when dry, or preserved in stacks till 

 sold. 



In stripping the bark from any of the trees men- 

 tioned, the best time is when the young leaves are 

 burstincr from the bud. The larch, willow, and birch 

 generally strip about the ist of May, and the oak 

 about the middle of the same month, much depending 

 upon the earliness or lateness of the season. 



Some larch trees yield 8 to 10 lbs. of bark per 

 cubic foot of timber, or 6 to 7 cwt. of bark to every 

 load of 5 o feet of timber ; and trees not over forty years 

 of age may be calculated to yield 7 to 9 lbs. of bark 

 for every cubic foot of timber. 



