PARK AND CEMETERY. 
9 
PRACTICAL TOOLS FOR FORESTRY WORK 
’ Since the graduates of the State Forest 
Academy of Pennsylvania have been in 
charge of various state reserves in that 
state they have had to solve many prob- 
lems without very many instruments which 
have been ordinarily used in connection 
with forestry work. Often it was neces- 
sary to devise their own tools and try 
them out, in some cases taking as a basis 
instruments in use. In other cases, their 
own ideas have been worked out, and tools 
made which are very serviceable. Some of 
these instruments are destined to be of 
great use in the forest service of the state, 
and there is no doubt but that from time 
to time other ideas will be worked out, 
so that in the course of several years we 
will have satisfactory instruments for 
every phase of the work. 
While at the Forest Academy, John A. 
Bastion perfected an instrument for meas- 
uring the height of trees, and at the same 
time determining the diameter of a tree at 
a given height This instrument was based 
upon Christen’s hypsometer. 
Flarry J. Mueller, forester on the Union 
County reserve, together with his ranger, 
worked out a kind of pruning shears with 
which the cost of brushing roads was re- 
duced quite materially. They also manu- 
factured a stone cant-hook with which to 
move large stones in the building of roads, 
an instrument with which one man can 
move a stone which would otherwise re- 
quire three or four men to displace. 
Raymond B. Winter, forester, also in 
Union County, designed a machine for 
planting acorns and various kinds of nuts, 
to be used especially on stony soil. 
Walter D. Ludwig, forester in Centre 
County, perfected a practical mallet to be 
used in the plantings of seedlings. 
W. Gard. Conklin, forester in Snyder 
County, had manufactured from rough 
pieces of steel a sprouting axe, which has 
surpassed the shears of Mr. Mueller in the 
matter of reducing the cost of brushing 
out roads and fire lanes. This young -for- 
ester has developed plans also for a cheap 
and serviceable road roller and a harrow 
for tearing the roots and growth from 
roads and fire lanes. 
Tom O. Beitsch, forester in charge of 
the Mont Alto nursery, has perfected a 
planting board which is equal to or will 
surpass the Yale planting board. 
These young men are endeavoring in 
every possible way to reduce the cost of 
the labor on the reserves to a minimum. 
They are handicapped in the matter of ex- 
pense, and to get results have to devise 
means whereby things can be done very 
cheaply. The young men are to be com- 
mended for putting their ideas into con- 
crete form, and it is to be hoped that if 
they are able to improve on tools which 
they have, or to develop new ones for spe- 
cial purposes, they will not hesitate to 
make their success in the use of such im- 
provements or tools known to other for- 
esters, not only in the state, but in the 
United States. 
Following is a description of the plant- 
ing mallet as submitted by Forester Walter 
D. Ludwig: 
“To anyone who has assisted in planting 
operations on a large scale, where seedlings 
or transplants from one to six years old 
are used, the need of an instrument of 
some sort to aid in the proper planting of 
trees is obvious. A suitable stone with flat 
face has been generally used for this pur- 
pose by the Pennsylvania foresters and 
TWO VIEWS OF PLANTING MALLET 
DEVISED BY PENNSYLVANIA FOR- 
ESTER. 
their employes. But it presents several 
disadvantages, such as cramping of the 
fingers, lack of sufficient weight and lever- 
age, and an uneven face. To remedy these 
evils a planting mallet was designed and 
used successfully. In designing this mal- 
let there had to be considered sufficient 
weight and leverage to thoroughly pack the 
earth about the roots of the tree with a 
few blows of the mallet; the fact that the 
head was liable to crush with continued 
use ; that frequently roots and briars must 
be removed from the immediate vicinity 
of the hole made for the tree ; and that at 
times in making the hole the earth is some- 
what scattered and must be raked together 
again to be placed around the roots and to 
fill the hole. 
“Keeping these points in view, the mal- 
let was constructed. An iron band around 
the head prevents crushing and adds 
weight. The handle gives leverage, so that 
in all ordinary cases a few blows are suf- 
ficient to set the tree solidly. The other 
end of the mallet is edged with a piece of 
steel, which serves to cut away any roots 
or debris from the hole and pull the dirt 
into the hole, to be placed around the roots 
of the tree which is being planted. The 
shape of the handle is a matter of personal 
taste, as any style of handle may be fitted 
to the mallet. 
“The use of the mallet is simple. The 
holes for the trees are made in the or- 
dinary way with mattocks. The tree is 
set in the hole and the mallet held point 
downward. The roots and debris, if any, 
are cut away and the earth is pulled into 
the hole. A half turn of the handle brings 
the flat face of the mallet down and a few 
blows serve to set the tree. Several types 
of mallet were tried, but the type herein 
described and shown in the accompanying 
illustration was constructed and found to 
be most serviceable and satisfactory in 
every respect. It is economical as a time- 
saver and is cheap. Such mallets can be 
constructed in quantity at a cost of about 
20 cents each. A trial in actual work with 
this type of mallet will demonstrate its de- 
sirability, its serviceability and its superior- 
ity. It is a necessary forest instrument in 
extensive field planting, and as such should 
commend itself to all interested in forest 
work.” 
