222 



Practical Forestry 



Heavy timber and large branches are usually peeled 

 where they fall, but it will be found convenient to have the 

 smaller trees and branches carried out to some open space 

 adjoining the stacking ground, and .peeled while one end is 

 supported by means of two forked sticks placed against 

 each other. When the bark of small branches cannot 

 readily be removed by the peeling-iron, a smooth and flat 

 stone is brought into use, beside which the peeler sits, and 

 with one hand holds the branch on the stone, moving it 

 along from one end to the other, at the same time applying 



BARKING TOOLS 



the mallet with the other hand until the bark becomes 

 loosened from the wood. Here it may be well to issue a 

 caution against a too frequent use of the mallet, which 

 should never be brought into request when the bark can be 

 otherwise removed from the wood, as all hammering and 

 beating not only diminishes the quality of tannin, but has 

 a tendency to blacken the fleshy part of the bark and cause 

 rapid decay in a bad season. The body, or trunk bark, is 

 removed in lengths of from 30 in. to 36 in., and in as large 

 pieces as possible, 



