UTILISING WASTE FOREST-PRODUCE. 



is required, the three principal woods used are the dogwood 

 (Cornus frangula), the white willow (Salix alba), and the 

 common alder (Alnus glutinosa) , though not infrequently the 

 hazel, chestnut, and our native Rhamnus cathartic as are 

 substituted. 



Charcoal produced from the dogwood is, however, preferred 

 to any other, it forming a very explosive powder, used for 

 military small-arms and for sporting purposes. For this 

 purpose the dogwood is cut when an inch in diameter, and, 

 if possible, when not more than of ten years' growth. 



Although iron cylinders or retorts are more economical in 

 the making of charcoal, yet for various reasons the primitive 

 method of pit-burning is to be recommended for general 

 estate purposes. The manufacture of charcoal in this way 

 having received due attention elsewhere in this book, it need 

 not be repeated here. It should be remembered that small 

 wood is more profitable for charcoal-making than that of too 

 large size, not only because the former requires little or no 

 cutting and splitting, but for the main reason that it can be 

 procured at less cost, and produces more charcoal, weight 

 for weight. Even at the present low price of charcoal 

 about lOd. per bushel there is a fair profit attached to the 

 making of it, as will be seen from the following figures, which 

 may be taken as a iair standard. A cord of ordinary mixed 

 wood, which should measure, after being stacked, 12 ft. long, 

 3 ft. wide, and 3 ft. high, will usually, when properly burned, 

 yield 35 bushels of charcoal, and this, at the low price of 10d., 

 will be 29s. 2d. for the produce of the cord of wood. The 

 cost of cutting this cord of wood, which is always performed 

 by contract, will be at the least 5s., and that of burning 7s. ; 

 thus leaving a clear profit of 17s. 2d. per cord for the 

 wood. 



Even roots are made into charcoal, and we have seen w T hole 

 woods grubbed up free of expense, only giving the roots for 

 the labour ; but such work is usually performed during the 

 winter, when labour is at a discount. Pinewood is not 

 nearly so valuable for charcoal-making as hardwood, but the 

 former is not infrequently made to realise a profit of from 



8s. to 10s. per cord of wood. 



165 



