310 SALE AND TRANSPORT OF PRODUCE 



The Price of Bark is now very low indeed, compared to 

 that which prevailed a few years ago. It fluctuates from 

 year to year, but usually in a downward direction. This is 

 largely due to imported tanning substitutes from foreign 

 countries. The most important, perhaps, are preparations 

 from Quebracho wood from Argentina ; and from the 

 Ouercus Aegilops from the Mediterranean. An average 

 price for Oak bark delivered at a tannery is at present 1 about 

 2, 5s. to 3 a ton. 



The Cost of Barking. The usual custom is to pay a 

 certain sum to include felling and barking and stacking-up 

 the bark, and to pay a separate sum for rounding-up the 

 timber afterwards. 



Large Oak trees are usually felled and barked for about 

 1, 55. to i t 75. a ton of bark. And the cost of rounding-up 

 such trees will be about is. 6d. per 100 cubic feet; but the 

 barking of coppice poles would cost from 2, 55. to 2, 155. a 

 ton of bark, for the bark is thin and the labour much greater. 



Three men should, if the bark " runs " easily, peel and 

 stack up about \ a ton of bark from a large tree in about 3 

 hours. A small gang of 6 or 7 men can very conveniently 

 work together when felling and barking. If 4 men are 

 barking, they can just about keep pace, in the case of large 

 timber, with the 3 men who are felling the trees. Now in 

 fine weather, if on piece-work, very good wages can be earned ; 

 but on the other hand, the men may often be stopped for 

 rain. 



The Advantages or otherwise of Barking. There is, 

 usually, still a small margin of profit on barking, and even if 

 there were no direct profit, it must be remembered that the 

 timber will often, as it were, be felled for nothing ; and, if the 

 timber has to be sent by rail, there will be an additional 

 saving in the cost of transportation. 



But, on the other hand, winter felled oak is better than 

 that felled in the spring ; and if a better price can be 

 obtained for the former, it will in many cases be the better 

 policy to fell the oak in the winter. 



1 1908. 



