1 68 THE NEW FORESTRY. 



and so on till the lot is finished. It is of much importance to 

 get the bark off quickly, dried, and away, or stacked in the 

 wood until it can be removed. In drying the bark it should 

 be laid out so as to allow the air to play around it. For this 

 purpose gantries should be erected in the wood in open airy 

 spots conveniently near, and on these the bark should be laid 

 thinly and be frequently turned, always keeping the outer 

 side of the bark uppermost. The gantries, or drying stages, 

 consist simply of two stout rails laid parallel, about two feet 

 apart, on forked sticks driven into the ground about three 

 feet apart, and standing up about a yard from the ground so as 

 to allow the air to circulate freely underneath. Sometimes 

 only two rails are required, but more may be used by /laying 

 cross pieces on the forked supports and laying the rails in 

 these. In stacking bark large quantities should not be put 

 together unless it has been. well dried, and the stacks, which 

 should be round, should be thatched with the best pieces of 

 bark or covered with tarpaulin. On all large estates there are 

 always woodmen who understand the work of stripping and 

 drying, and on most estates in the north of England it is the 

 custom to let the getting of the crop by contract to such men, 

 who employ assistants. This plan usually works well for both 

 sides provided the conditions are made clear, viz., that the 

 work is to be proceeded with diligently with a sufficient number 

 of hands, while the season is on, the bark to be properly dried 

 and stacked, or loaded off by road or rail to the consumer. 

 Should the season be warm and favourable it is of much impor- 

 tance to have everything ready and a sufficient number of 

 hands for the work, otherwise it may not be possible to secure 

 half .a crop before the leaves are out and the work has to cease. 

 Barking tools consist of an axe, bill-hook, barking iron, 

 and mallet, which are described in the chapter on tools. 



