740 Making of Clogs, Clog-Soles and Clog-Blocks. [Nov., 



difficulty. In the year 1456 the Clog and Patten Makers made 

 a pitiful appeal to the King to be allowed to use such pieces of 



tymber of Aspe " as would not serve to make arrows. Their 

 petition appears to have been granted for the time being, but 

 in view of a projected invasion from France, the restraint on the 

 use of this timber was again enforced on the clog-makers. 



The " Aspe " timber is a kind of poplar, extensively grown 

 on the Scotch hills but seldom used by doggers at the present 

 day. Birch is sometimes used, but alder makes the most 

 comfortable clogs and is less apt to split than beech which 

 is also sometimes used. The hand-made alder soles are preferred 

 in Lancashire to the beech soles made in factories. Machinery 

 is of fairly recent introduction and improvements are expected 

 which will cause the machine-made soles to compete more effec- 

 tively with the hand-made. It is also rumoured that ready-made 

 soles may be sent over from the virgin woods of North America. 

 By this means greater economy in transport than the English 

 clog-block cutter can secure will be effected through leaving 

 the waste material behind. He goes to the woods to work, 

 selling his waste as firewood if he can. and burning up the small 

 chips in his own fire. The clog-block, though it is cut to definite 

 sizes for children's, women's and men's clogs, still has to be 

 reduced greatly by the clog-sole maker to whom it is sent. His 

 yard becomes littered with growing piles of chips as he cuts 

 away at the blocks. It is said that three-quarters of the blocks 

 are cut to waste. This illustrates the truth that wood-industries 

 should not be isolated, disconnected crafts, but that the waste 

 or parts less suitable for one craft should be passed on to be 

 used for some other purpose with as much economy as possible 

 in time, material, skill and transport. 



The interdependence of various wood -trades is also illustrated 

 bv the fact that alder and birch are used both for broom-heads 



t/ 



and for clog-soles. A Devonshire wood-dealer whose principal 

 trade is in firewood, sets turners to make broom-heads and clog- 

 block makers to cut clog-blocks out of material sorted for each 

 purpose. 



Cutting the Blocks. — The birch and alder, chiefly alder, is 

 bought where it can be obtained in fairly large quantities, either 

 felled or standing in the woods. The price is a matter of 

 arrangement with the owner of the woods, who will often give 

 credit until the returns from the finished clog-blocks come in. 

 This makes it easy for a workman to become a master, as capital 

 is only required for paying labour and board. During the War, 



