280 T:TE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 



centre ; but when the eye is one-sided, by splitting the end of 

 the helve on one side of the centre, and inserting a wedge one 

 side of the centre of the eye, the edge may be adjusted with all 

 desirable precision. If, when the helve is driven into the eye, it 

 should not touch on one side, and the edge stand correctly, it is 

 best not to split the end of the helve in wedging, but to wedge 

 on one side, with timber as hard as the helve. Have a thin, iron 

 wedge made to fasten on the axe, with a large flat head that will 

 cover the eye of the axe. This may be readily taken out in case 

 of a broken axe or helve, when a wooden wedge could not be 

 extracted. 



CHOPPING. 



" The sturdy feller, with his glittering axe, 

 Incessant plies the well-directed blows." ANON. 



377. Why can one man chop so much faster and neater than 

 another? Why can a very small man, possessing but little 

 strength, often chop twice as much as some large, strong, Goliah- 

 like fellow ? The reason is very obvious : it requires but little 

 strength to chop well, and to chop fast, when a chopper handles 

 his axe well and easily, and strikes as straight as may be, losing 

 no strokes. But when a chopper handles his axe awkwardly 

 be he ever so stout he is not likely to strike very straightly : 

 and if he does not strike exactly in the same spot at every blow, 

 he loses his strokes ; and when he loses Ins strokes, and makes 

 a great deal of mince, or fine chips, before he is able to bring 

 out the chips, it requires many more strokes to start the chips 

 than when there is but little or no mince made. A good chop 

 per makes but little mince, and he always strikes so as to start a 

 chip at nearly every stroke. The first thing, then, in order to 

 be a good chopper, is, to learn 



TO HANDLE THE AXE CORRECTLY. 



378. When a chopper stands on a log which he designs to 

 cut off with the axe, he should stand erect, straighten his back at 

 every stroke, and, with one hand holding the hilt of the helvo, 



