230 Practical Forestry 



with making it are, however, a little heavier than usual, 

 owing to the slower system of charring, the use of larger 

 wood, and the extra cost of covering with turf. As to the 

 cost of producing charcoal by the above method, this will 

 vary greatly, much depending on the distance the wood 

 has to be carted and on the cost of labour in the particular 

 district. 



The price paid to the charcoal burners is Id. per bushel, 

 or about four guineas per ton, which may seem high, but 

 when we consider that it is specialized work that is confined 

 to few and attended with grave risks and discomfort, the 

 amount earned is not excessive. It should also be remem- 

 bered that, previous to lighting the kilns, sufficient rough, not 

 corded, wood has to be sawn and split and the pits carefully 

 built and covered, not to speak of the constant attention 

 required, both day and night, wet or dry, for from three to 

 seven days, during charring process. The usual price for 

 burning charcoal when the wood is corded is 35*. per ton. 



Fresh-felled wood is rarely converted into charcoal, the 

 greater portion of that used being thinnings of the previous 

 season. ' The proportion of wood to charcoal varies greatly, 

 much depending on the size, quality, and maturity of timber. 

 Having had occasion to purchase charcoal lately, I found the 

 price, retail, to.be 2s. 6d. per bushel, or in quant it ic-s of not 

 less han a ton, 14, for that of fair quality. 



From about the twelfth century onwards Scotland, where : 

 wo6d was abundant, produced annually a large quantity of 

 charcoal iron ; and in 1660 the Navy Commissioners 

 nominated John Evelyn to investigate the then denudation 

 of forests "owing to the manufacture of charcoal for iron 

 smelting, and the following .quaint extract from his .report. 

 will be interesting : " Nature has thought fit to produce 

 this wasting ore more plentifully in woodlands than any 

 other point, and^to enrich our forests to their own destruction 

 a deep execration of iron mills and ironmasters also." 

 The Lorn Works, in Argyllshire, were started in 1753, and 

 annually consumed upwards of 3,000 tons of lump charcoal 



The Sussex and Kentish forests at one time supported 

 many of the familiar elmrrnnl burners, and ri^lit brawny and 



