January 2, 1S82.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
58i 
ski oral j 
it beoo 
the de 
to oeci 
possess 
fore, jj 
to twe 
350 tr 
la c 
shewu, 
and qc 
tioued 
harvesi 
meutio 
fact, 
bark o 
seems 
bility 
prooed 
[ at this stage of thei 
to furnish considerabl 
lie leaves of the trees 
progress 
space fur 
vhich are 
band from eleven 
5 of from 300 to 
dean coppice is 
h the quantity 
s shoots are men- 
second year. In 
3 is made to the poesi- 
ss destructive mode of 
: will quote at length : — 
s 1 he sap of the tree 
the hark to rise from 
ably iu different trees, 
re of the soil and situa- 
lateness of the season. 
5 be the strongest in 
piently the most vain- 
into full leaf and pro- 
has deteriorated one 
rentage of late harking, 
Tl 
circulates so freely as to 
the timber which varies c< 
and is aUo regulated by tl) 
Bion, and by the earlin< 
That first removed is fo 
the tannin principle, and 
able. When the tree e> 
duces young shoots, the 
half ; nor is this the only 
for the future growths f 
following crop, rise but fc 
the timber has bei n remc 
In detailing the process 
remark that, on old tre 
birch, a rough exterior 1 
exists, which is of no v 
»xe, or more readily by 
scraper, which is shaped 
but i< more powerful, i 
that this rough ontsid 
■with the inn r bark k 
inner baik rises from t 
sap flows more copious 
.Beloro the trees are_ 
a barking-iron or bill, 'i 
cutting through ih 
face of the ground 
the height ot two 
removed. A woodsman follows and notches 
tools, which form the 
.mpared to those where 
April or in May. 
rking it is necessary to 
:1 particularly on the 
r epidermis commonly 
this is removed by an 
implement termed a 
a common draw-hoe, 
1 much sharper. It is found 
hark does not easily part 
lue 
bark of the tree close to the sur- 
aud making a similar incision at 
feet ; between these the bark is 
the tree 
which 
about two inches deep all round the sur 
prepares it for being cut through by the common 
cross-cut saw. Immediately on the tree being felled, 
the smaller I . nones arc cut with an axe or bill, into 
piece* about two feet long, from which, when tapped 
over a stouc with a wooden mallet, the b>»rk loosens, 
and is readily r< moved. The barking-iron is applied 
in nutting th igh the bark around the trunk and 
main branches, at places about two feet apart, and 
with the aid of the mallet aud barking-chisel the 
main timbers are peeled. The tools used in the various 
operation* n i doubl vary in form in different districts ; 
a heavj co 1 id cross-cut saw for felling the timber; 
• light axe and a hedger'a short bill for cutting through 
the bark — the formt r al.-^o for use as a mallet ; and 
Mlking-i of various sizes, which arc blunt duck- 
bill-shape 1 chi n-ls, flat on one side aud rounded on 
the other, arc the tools commonly u«ed in Knglaud. 
Women, iu some districts, and boys, are employed, 
■SIX or eight being superintended by a man, who lops tho 
branches, and a.-.: i its in turning the tries as the work pro- 
cord... Lath bark is raised from the trco it is classed 
into two ni/.os— tho smaller iuto heaps, nud tho larger 
covering thorn, placed w ith tho outside uppermost. 
W. Don come to thu most important part, tl o pro- 
146 
cess of drying, which in a great measure regulates 
the value of the produce, and in wet weather becomes 
very precarious. A bark drying-shed should occupy 
the most airy situation iu the forest or in its vicinity. 
It should consist of a roof, which may be formed of 
deal, and supported on pillars ten feet high. Across 
the house, at the distance of every eigiit feet, splits 
of wood should be erected, four tiers in depth, forming 
shelves to dry the bark. The bark, on its removal 
from the timber, is immediately collected and spread 
three or four inches deep ; the smallest should occupy 
the lower ranges, and the large bark the upper, with 
the ontsides of the large bark uppermost. Around this 
drying-shed an open space should be reserved, capable 
^i „„,,+.,;„;ror tpvf.v.nl ranges of shelves, which, when 
favourable weather. \v Here no aryin 0 sneu is useu, 
the bark is harvested in the opi n ground, aud com- 
monly at or near to the spot where it was produced. 
This is indeed the more common practice. A set of 
straight limbs are supported on forked sticks along 
the surface of the land, aud about three feet from 
it ; against these, first the small pieces, then the larger 
are piled, and over all, forming a roof, the trunk 
bark is placed, sheltering the whole irom the effects 
of the weather. If the bark be of small size, and 
showery weather occur while it is exposed, damage 
must ensue; but if a considerable proportion has been 
yielded by stout timber, it may, if put up thus with 
care, be preserved with safety even during unfavourable 
weather. Of course the most open and airy convenient 
situation should be preferred. 
Another method may be described thus :— A few of 
the forked branches are inserted into the ground, with 
the prongs uppermost, to support rails or splits of 
wood from twelve to eighteen inches asunder, similar 
to the shelves described for the drying-house ; with 
this difference, that iu the open ground the rail on 
the one side should be placed a few inches lower 
than the other, so that the surface of the bark, wheu 
exposed on the rail, may form a declivity sufficient 
to discharge water. It is fouud that rain on bark during 
the operation of peeling, or immediately thereafter, 
while it possesses its own sap, does it little or no injury, 
though afterwards, wheu but partially dry, it infuses 
or extracts its virtues. Having erected the timber 
the email bark is laid first on the rails to the depth 
of about three or four inches, above which a cover 
pieces is then placed with their outsides 
t which forms a shade aud protection for 
,' Duriu" the preparation of bark, the forester 
iar in irnnd that the influence of sunshine 
ler side causes a lar'e decrease of its weight, 
apoiation of its most valued juices, which do 
of 
the shed, or in the opi 
apt to get compact and 1 
be shifted and disturbed : 
twenty-four hours, for Ih 
kept uppermost in 
5 stood ou the rails in 
ground for a day, it is 
lcly ; it should therefore 
a similar manner every 
or four davs. That in 
the drying-shed, when crowded, should bo removed 
to the outside rails every favourable morning, and 
placed under the roof every night, aud during rain. 
In unfavourable weather, two or three weeks are 
sometimes necessary to dry it in the open ground, 
but under more favourable circumstances it becomes 
quite dry in eight days. It is then removed into a 
b iuso and chopped to tho size of about two inches, 
an operation which is commonly performed by con- 
tract, at six shillings por ton; this tits the bark for 
tho tanner. Tho cost of preserving baik most be 
always regulatod by the price of labour in the district, 
aud tho size of the timbor which yields it. One 
person will rtrip from stout timber about live or six 
cwt. por day ; from small timber only ubout one cwt. 
