BARK. 155 



has of late fallen considerably in price ; last year we 

 only received £2 per ton, put on rail at our nearest 

 station, and that, I believe, was about the current price 

 in the district, while preceding years the current price 

 was from ;^3 to £df per ton." 



Mr. James Gordon, Luss estates, Dumbartonshire, 

 says : " Larch of small size, or such as is generally used 

 for mining purposes, may often be profitably peeled. 

 The process does not cost over 28s. to 32s. per ton 

 of bark, cutting^ included. The bark can be carried a 

 considerable distance to a market before exhausting 

 the difference between its cost of preparation and 

 delivery, and the price realised. But granting that 

 the charge and discharge are equal, the fact of the 

 trees being felled and divested of their branches is an 

 important consideration ; and the other fact that young 

 trees so peeled soon lose about one half of their original 

 weight is still more important when carriage rates are 

 heavy. On the other hand, I disapprove of peeling 

 large trees, or such as are to be sawn into planking or 

 deals for constructive purposes. The bark of such 

 trees is not so good, and besides the timber is liable to 

 become seriously damaged from rending, before it can 

 be manufactured into the required dimensions. I am 

 therefore of opinion that larch to be used in the round 

 state may often be profitably peeled, while larch to be 

 used in a manufactured state should not, but should 

 be felled at that season when the tree itself is unfit 

 for such an operation." 



Mr. J. Crabbe, Glamis Castle, says : " Although larch 



