450 THE BOOK OF THE LANDED ESTATE. 



opposite the other, and upon these are laid cross pieces of wood, and 

 over all long small trees are laid to support the bark. 

 A general view of a stage complete is shown in fig. 131. 



FIG. 131. 



All the trees being previously brought to the roads and peeled, the 

 bark is thus at hand for piling on the stages, which are erected along the 

 sides of the roads. Good qpen spaces should be chosen for the stages, 

 where there is a free circulation of air to dry the bark. Large flat pieces 

 of bark from the trunk of the trees should be placed on the top of the 

 other bark on the stage, to assist in throwing off water ; aud to facili- 

 tate this, one side of the stage should be a few inches lower than the 

 other. No definite time can be stated as that which bark may take to 

 dry on the stage, as all depends on the weather and the locality. In fine 

 weather we have stacked it in good condition in about eight days from 

 being peeled, and in dull cloudy weather it has taken three weeks to 

 get it secured in safety. It is in good condition when perfectly dry, and 

 when it will not bend like green bark, but breaks on trying to bend it ; 

 and when well cured, it should be of a bright cream colour, excepting, 

 of course, the outer bark. When the inside is of a dull brown colour, 

 there is very little tanning matter in it. The quicker it can be dried 

 and cured, the better will be the quality of the bark. Many foresters 

 advocate turning the bark on the stage, but for my part I do not approve 

 of this, as when the bark dries to a certain extent on the stage, it 

 hangs down at the ends, and turns in at the edges in the form of a 

 rain-water spout for a house. When this is reversed, it forms a recep- 

 tacle for the rain ; and from being turned up at the ends, the water does 

 not get away freely, and hence it sinks into the bark and rots it. 



After the bark is dry, it is either sold to tanners on the stages, or is 

 chopped up into pieces and delivered to the purchaser in bags. We 

 usually build it up in stacks until it can be sold advantageously, and 

 then have it chopped and delivered. 



The cost of stripping oak-bark varies much with the rate of wages 

 in the locality and the size of the trees. Very large oak-trees may be 

 cut down and stripped at the rate of 30s. to 35s. per ton of bark, while 



