CHAPTER XXX. 



DECLINING WOODLAND INDUSTRIES. 



Though prices of home-grown timber have rather increased 

 of late years, yet many of our time-honoured woodland 

 operations have now well nigli become things of the past. 



A century ago oak bark sold in the London market at about 

 20 per ton. Now, lucky does the forester consider himself 

 who can secure one-fifth of that amount, or 4 per ton; 

 coupled to which it may be said that the labour now 

 involved is at least one-fourth higher. At no very remote 

 date throughout the length and breadth of our land bark- 

 stripping, or "flawing," was commonly practised, and was 

 justly considered as an industry of purely English origin. 

 Now, however, unless in a few isolated instances, the hut 

 of the bark stripper, the gentle ring of the wooden 

 mallet, and the far reaching trestles of cream-coloured, 

 bark, which were the pride of the woodman and beauty 

 of the woodland glades and margins, are almost things 

 of the past, foreign competition and the substitution of, 

 chemicals for tanning purposes having dealt a death blow 

 to this industry of our forefathers. 



Whether it is likely to be revived again is very. 

 doubtful, though the results obtained from chemicals in 

 leather tanning are anything but satisfactory, and cannot 

 compete with the time - honoured preparation obtained, 

 from the best class of oak bark. 



At one time, and not so long ago, the cultivation of . 

 osiers for basket-making held a prominent place in the work 



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