TANNING MATERIALS 



67 



the bark. In the northern portion of the hemlock region, that is, from 

 Maine to Wisconsin, the season is often from early in May to early in 

 July, or later, whereas in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia, the 

 season may be from April to June. It is found that peeling is accom- 

 plished much more rapidly during the warm damp weather within the 

 peeling period, and even better, during the morning and evening than 

 during the noon. 



Photograph by U. S. Forest Service. 



FIG. 13. Hauling and loading hemlock bark in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. 

 The bark is brought down the steep slopes on sleds, for a distance of from one to two 

 miles and loaded on flat cars. 



The peeling crew is often organized to work on a piece basis, so much 

 being paid for felling, peeling, stacking, hauling, and loading on the cars. 

 The work is usually done in connection with the logging operation 

 although it has been done very often for the bark alone. The bark 

 formerly was stacked and measured by the full cord (128 cu. ft.), 8 ft. 

 long, 4 ft. high, 4 ft. wide, but for many years it was paid for by weight 

 " merchantably dry." A rough conversion factor of one cord equal to 



