BARKING OAK. 



leafage, whereas in some parts of Scotland, especially the 

 north, the operation is frequently nearly a month later. No 

 mistake can, however, arise as to the right time to start bark- 

 ing in any locality, as in all cases the period when the bud is 

 first bursting into leaf will be found the proper time for 

 felling to insure easy stripping and the best quality of bark. 

 As the season of bark-stripping is, therefore, of short dura- 

 tion, every prepartion should be made beforehand trees 

 marked and numbered, tools in readiness, and squads 

 arranged so that an early start may be made, as, by 

 deterring the work beyond the time stated above, there is not 





BAKKING TOOLS. 



only a perceptible loss in weight, but considerable deteriora- 

 tion in the quality of bark as well. 



Elaborate directions regarding the arrangements of squads 

 and tools to be used are unnecessary, as almost every district 

 has its own peculiarities in this way. The tools generally 

 in use are heavy axes and the cross-cut saw for felling, hand- 

 bills and saws for pruning, peeling-irons or chisels for 

 removing the bark, scrapers for removing moss, and light 

 wooden mallets for beating refractory bark or such as cannot 

 be removed by the peeling-irons alone. 



