BAKKING OAK. 



S. d. 



Labour, peeling, and harvesting ... 1 10 



Cartage to railway station, including 

 loading (this is the average from six 

 districts) ... 076 



Loss on four months delay in selling 

 the timber, which, but for the bark, 

 would have been felled in winter at 

 5% 050 



Customary terms of payment, less 2J % 020 



Superintendence, etc. ... ... .... 016 



260 



This leaves a seeming profit of 2 4s. per ton of bark, or 

 about fully 3Jd. per cube foot, there being on an average 150 

 feet to the ton. 



It has been carefully estimated that there is a loss of fully 

 12 per cent, of wood, caused by felling the oak during the 

 barking season, or, in other words, the proportion of sap- 

 wood to the whole tree is about 14 per cent., which, for the 

 majority of purposes to which oak timber is applied, is 

 rendered by the peeling of little or no value. 



We will say, however, that two per cent, can be profitably 

 utilised, which leaves us with a net loss of 12 per cent, oa 

 the whole tree. 



The average price of the best oak is 2s. per foot, 12 per cent, 

 of which is as nearly as possible 3d. per foot, or dGl 1?R. 6d. 

 per ton of bark to 150 feet of wood. 



This, with the 2 6s., cost of production, brings the total 

 to 4 3s. 6d., leaving a balance to the good of 6s. 6d. per ton 

 a profit utterly incommensurate with the great risk involved. 



15f) 



