FELLING. 



Fig. 60. 



309 



Manner of felling timber trees, with, the necessary tools. 



This plane is always formed as close to the ground 

 as possible. The saw is then entered on the side 

 of the tree opposite to the fall ; and as soon as it has 

 passed far enough within the stem, so as to admit a 

 thin wedge, one or two are entered behind the saw, in 

 order that it be not pinched in its play. As the saw 

 proceeds, the wedge or wedges behind receive every 

 now and then a blow of the beetle, in order to keep 

 the tree steady in its place. The saw is worked 

 parallel to the cross cut of the fall ; and is continued 

 towards it, till about an inch only of sound wood 

 remains. The wedges are then beetled till the tree 

 falls ; and this, if the inclination of the fall and the 

 action of the saw have been made to correspond, takes 

 place with admirable exactness. It sometimes hap- 

 pens that, from the unequal distribution or unequal 



