Book II. 



PRODUCTS OF TREES. 



659 



nor should cither horse or cart be permitted to enter it after that period ; for, after the beginning of 

 August, oaks make what is termed a Lammas growth, and the future prosperity and health of the coppice 

 in a great measure depend on the first year's growth, as far as regards form and vigour of the shoots. 

 {Forester's Guide, 69.) 



4046. The best ?node of cutting is evidently that of using a saw, and cutting the shoots over in a slanting 

 direction close by the surface. When the stool, after having been cut several times, has acquired con- 

 siderable diameter, it is customary in the midland counties. Marshal states, to hollow it out in the centre, 

 from a notion that, by rotting away the central roots, the circumferential stems will grow more vigor- 

 ously, and become as it were separate plants. This is in fact the case in very old copses. For several 

 cuttings, however, it must evidently be the safer policy to keep the stool highest in the middle to throw 

 oft" the rain, and preserve it sound. 



4047. Montcith says, " It will be found, upon experiment, perfectly evident, that stools dressed down 

 to the surface of the ground (taking care always not to loosen the bark from the root, or allow it to 

 be peeled off in the smallest degree below the earth, but rounded down level to it) will send forth the 

 most vigorous shoots, and stand the weather, and be the stoutest and best throughout the age of the 

 coppice." {Forester's Guide, 61.) From the late season at which the trees to be barked are generally 

 cut, they often receive considerable injury, both from that circumstance, and the manner in which the 

 operation is performed. Monteith appears to us to have furnished the best directions for executing 

 the work in a safe manner. He first sends a person furnished with an instrument with a sharp cutting 

 edge ijle. 598. a) through the copse, whoso business is, " to trample down the long grass or foggage all 

 round the root, and then to make a circular incision into the bark so deep as to reach the wood, at 

 about an inch above the surface of the earth : thus the bark when taken off, will injure no part of that 

 which is below the circular incision." 



4048. The root qf the tree being thus prepared, the cutters ought to proceed to their part of the work, 

 not with an axe, however, as is n>ost generally recommended, but with a saw ; because, in cutting with 

 the axe, unless the root of the tree be so small in diameter as to be severed in one or two strokes at most, 

 the axe loosens the root to such a degree, that it not only loses the present year's growth, but often fails alto- 

 gether to grow. Therefore, if the diameter of the root be six inches, or upwards, it should always be cut 

 with a cross-cut saw, entering the saw about half an inch above where the circular incision has been 

 made into the bark, if a small tree; but if the tree be ten or twelve, or more inches in diameter, the 

 saw ought to be entered two inches above it. 



4049. There are two advantages to be derived fi-om cutting with the sain : it has no tendency to loosen 

 the root of the tree, but leaves it in such a condition as to be more easily and properly dressed ; it also 

 saves a portion of the wood that would otherwise be destroyed by the axe. On no pretence should oaks 

 of six inches' diameter be cut with an axe, but always witli a saw. Having cut through the tree with 

 a saw, take a 'sharp adze, and round the edges of the stool or root, going close down to the surface 

 of the earth, taking with the ad^ze both bark and wood, sloping it up towards the centre of the stool, 

 taking particular care always that the bark and wood both slope alike, as if they formed one solid 

 body, being sure always that the bark be not detached from tlie root. An objection has been made 

 to this mode of cutting with the saw, as taking up too much time ; but I have found that two men 

 with a cross-cut saw, kept in good order, will cut as much as two men will with an axe. {Forester's 

 Guide, 58.) 



4050. In the operation of barldng trees, " the barkers are each furnished with light short-ha-,ided 

 mallets, marie of hard wood, about eight or nine inches long, three inches square at the face, and the 

 other end sharpened like a wedge, in order the more easily to make an incision in the bark, which is 

 done all along the side of the tree which happens to be uppermost, in a straight line : and as two barkers 

 are generally employed at one tree, it is proper, that whilst the one is employed in making an incision 



with the mallet, as above, the other being furnished with the barking-bill {fig. 59 



a), cuts the bark 

 across the tree, in 

 lengths of from two 

 feet six inches to 

 three feet. Having 

 thus made the in- 

 cision in the bark, 

 both ways, the bark- 

 ers being also each 

 furnished with peel- 

 ing irons of diffei'ent 

 sorts (/>, c, d, e) j if 

 the tree or piece of 

 timber to be barked 

 is such as the two 

 barkers can easily 

 lift one end of it, 



this is placed on two pieces of wood three feet long, and called horses ; these are about the thickness of a 

 paling-stake, and have a forked end on each about six inches long, the other end being sharpened to.go 

 into the ground ; two of these horses are placed in a triangular form against one another, one end of the 

 piece to be peeled being raised on the horses, the two barkers standing opposite to each other, and enter, 

 ing the peeling-irons into the incision made by the mallet, and pressing the iron downwards between the 

 bark and the timber. In this way it will be found very easy to take the bark off'in one whole piece round 

 the tree; and, if possible, let these pieces be as long as the incisions made in the bark. In some cases, 

 where there is not much sap, the bark may require a little beating with the square end of the mallet, 

 to cause it to separate easily from the wood ; but the less beating with the mallet the better, as it has a 

 tendency to blacken the bark in the inside or fleshy part of it, so that, when the tanner sees it, he sup- 

 poses it to be damaged, and undervalues it. The branches of the tree being previously all lopped off with 

 the axe, the ixjrsons, in number according to the extent of the work, with the bill smooth all the branches, 

 cutting them in lengths of from two feet six inches to three feet, down as small as one inch in circum- 

 ference. The barkers, principally women, are each provided with a smooth hard stone of about six or 

 eight pounds' weight, beside which they sit down, and having collected a quantity of saplings, branches, 

 or twigs, they hold the piece on the stone with one hand, and with the mallet in the other, they beat it 

 till the bark be split from the wood, from the one end to the other, and taking it off all the length of the 

 piece, if possible, then lay it regularly aside, till a bundle of considerable size is formed." 



4051. Drying the bark. The point most particularly to be observed in this art is, putting the bark up 

 to dry ; which is done by setting it upon what are called the lofts or ranges. These are erected by taking 

 forked pieces of the loppings, called horses, the one three feet long, the other two feet six inches, and 

 driving them about four inches into the ground, opposite one another, about two feet asunder in the 

 breadth, and as much betwixt them lengthways as will admit long small pieces of wood to be put upon 

 them, and as many of these must be put together as will hold the bark of every day's peeling. These 

 ought to be erected in as dry and elevated a spot as can be found in the margin of the wood, or better on 

 its outside. The bark being carried and laid on this loft, with the thick ends of it all laid to the high side 

 of the range, and the small bark laid on to the thickness of about six inches ; and the bark taken off the 

 largest of the wood laid reguUirly on the top, which serves for a covering, and the lofts or ranges having 

 a declivity of about six inches, the rain will run off them readily, and if properly put up in this manner, 

 they will keep out a great deal of rain After it has lain in this state for three days, if the weather is good 



\J XI 2 



