138 A FARMER'S YEAR 



which direction the trunk is to fall and the exact spot of ground 

 whereon he desires to lay it. Very possibly the state of the 

 wind, if it is at all high, will make it difficult to do this with the 

 requisite nicety, and in such case that tree must be left till another 

 day. 



If, however, there is no wind, or the set of it seems right, he 

 places his ladder against the trunk, and, climbing as high as he can 

 go, so that there may be a better pull and purchase at the moment 

 of the fall, ties his line about the tree. Then he goes to a dis- 

 tance and makes the other end of the line, which is about thirty 

 yards long, fast to the bole of a second tree, if one should stand 

 conveniently to his purpose. Should there be no tree near of 

 sufficient strength to bear the strain, then at the critical moment 

 the line must be held by men — that is, if its use is considered 

 necessary. The object of this rope, I may state, is to make it 

 sure that in spite of other precautions the tree will not fall in a 

 direction different to that intended, thereby causing damage, or 

 possibly hurt, to the woodcutters ; for should it begin to fall thus 

 perversely, the slack comes out of the rope, which, growing taut 

 and rigid as a bar of iron when it takes the strain, swings the dead 

 weight of the trunk round and brings it to the earth near to the 

 place where it is desired that it should lie. That is, it does these 

 things if the rope be strong enough. There is nothing more 

 dangerous in wood-cutting than a weak or frayed rope, which is 

 apt to fly apart at the moment of stress. When the line is 

 successfully fastened and pulled as tight as one or two men can 

 draw it, it is probably considered desirable — though this, of 

 course, depends upon the character of the ' top ' — to saw off such 

 of the branches as can be reached with ease and safety, especially 

 those upon that side to which the tree must fall, that otherwise 

 would be splintered and spoiled. 



Then the actual felling begins. This there are two ways of 

 doing — one the careless and slovenly chopping off of the tree 

 above the level of the ground, the other its scientific ' rooting.' 

 In rooting a timber, the soil is first removed from about the foot 



