224 Practical Forestry 



rain. The rick may be of any length, according to the 

 quantity of bark on hand, and of a height proportionate 

 to the width. The largest pieces of bark should be reserved 

 for thatching the rick, the whole being covered over by a 

 tarpaulin or waterproof cloth of some kind. In most cases 

 the bark is chipped previously to being sold, but as this 

 necessitates having a large shed at command, the system 

 is not generally adopted. There are, however, several 

 advantages accruing from this method, not the least of 

 which is that the bark may be chopped up as it is removed 

 from the drying-stands, thus saving the expense of stacking. 

 Chopping the bark can also be done by the workmen 

 during wet weather, and when not otherwise engaged. 



In computing the quantity of bark before stripping, we 

 have found the following data fairly reliable : 



1. A well-balanced tree with a good head will yield about 

 6 cwt. of bark for every ton of measurable timber, if branches 

 down to an inch in diameter are peeled. 



2. Hedgerow trees usually yield about a ton of bark to 

 every three tons of timber. 



3. Trees growing in close woodland are usually thin 

 barked, the yield being about a ton of bark to every 4J 

 tons of timber. 



4. Oak poles will average five tons of timber to a ton of 

 bark. 



Tall, clean stems, as are produced when the poles are 

 grown thickly together, with small heads, give the smallest 

 yield in proportion to the quantity of timber, and short 

 stems with spreading heads the largest. 

 The cost of production is as follows : 



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' deUy in selling the timber, 

 which, but for the bark, would have been 

 felled in winter at 5 per cent. . . .050 

 Customary terms of payment, less 2 per cent. 020 

 Superintendence, etc. ... .016 



260 



