WOODLAND WORK AND WORKING PLANS 183 



projects at an angle of about 45 degrees on the falling side. 

 In such a case, the weight of the whole tree coming suddenly 

 upon this branch will often split a slice off the trunk when 

 the tree falls, and spoil a great deal of valuable timber. 



The above instances prove that men engaged in felling 

 timber should be possessed of considerable skill and in- 

 telligence, as well as sober habits of living. Careless work- 

 men not only endanger their own lives, but may easily spoil a 

 quantity of valuable timber by unskilful felling or lack of 

 judgment, and it is highly important that the woodmen on 

 an estate should be the cream of the labouring staff. To be 

 an expert axeman, a man must start fairly early in life, and 

 for the lighter kinds of wood-work a lad of seventeen or 

 eighteen should get into the way of handling the tools and 

 acquiring the necessary skill. 



If strong healthy lads of this age could be induced by 

 suitable wages and prospects of advancement to take up the 

 work in earnest, any estate should have little difficulty in 

 possessing a squad of suitable workmen. Unfortunately, in 

 common with all classes of skilled rural labour nowadays, 

 very few lads seem inclined to take the work up seriously, 

 but get away into towns or more crowded centres after a year 

 or two. The system which prevails on most estates, however, 

 of treating all labourers as if they were of equal value, and 

 rewarding them all with the same wage, is fatal to a great 

 deal of the encouragement which ought to be extended 

 towards suitable men. 



Timber-felling is usually done by piecework at so much 

 per foot, load, or 100 feet. Oak is paid for at a higher price 

 than other timber, on account of its hardness. Ash, beech, 

 and elm come next, while coniferous woods are paid for at 

 the lowest rates. 



The average prices paid for felling oak per 100 feet are 

 from 2s. 6d. to 3s. ; ash, beech, and elm, 2s. to 2s. 3d. ; and 

 soft woods, Is. to Is. 6d. This includes lopping and knotting 

 up the timber, and at this rate experienced workmen should 

 earn from 20s. to 25s. per week, without trouble, in good 

 weather and with fairly clean timber. 



A feature of felling oak in many districts is the work of 

 peeling or stripping off the bark for tanning purposes. This 



