312 FELLING. 



and durable, because in that season " the sap is 

 down." We have already adverted to, and com- 

 mented on, the accuracy of this old notion, and have 

 shown, that, however right the practice of felling 

 timber in winter, the woodman's reason for doing so 

 is not strictly philosophical. But this is of little con- 

 sequence, so as the practical old custom is right. 



Of the oak we may observe, that disbarking and 

 killing the tree before it is felled, cannot answer any 

 material good. The stem will continue to imbibe 

 water as long as it stands, though deprived of bark ; 

 and as all aqueous sap must be exhaled away before 

 the timber can be used with propriety, little time is 

 gained by this scheme, and no great superiority of 

 quality. It is only the sap wood, or recent layers of 

 alburnum, that suffer by being too quickly seasoned, 

 and this is never, or should never be, used in ma- 

 chinery, ships, or other structure where heart-wood 

 is particularly necessary. 



With respect to the propriety of disbarking timber 

 in general, we know that in some instances it is right, 

 in others wrong. The peculiar qualities of the tree 

 are often found concentrated in the bark. If these 

 qualities be conservative, persisting, and moreover 

 repulsive to insects, it is wrong to deprive such trees 

 of the bark, when the whole, or parts of the stem or 

 branches are used for any purpose of buildings or 

 fencing : of this description is the larch. On the 

 other hand, if the bark contains no conservative prin- 

 ciple, and be attractive and retentive of moisture 



