The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-24
A TREE FEELING M.iCHINE.
Mr.. Gladstone Tells whnt he Knows "bout
Tough Woods-Ncv the Worst OF All.

Some further experiments took place on
Saturday ON the Roup,d Park Estni" close To-
Inise lil Station. VII, - pnlent steam trer,-
g.. ot the Stanley Works. chelsea. Nor" than
ordinary interest uitntA"l to the pro t"iinE-
from the fact Of Nj. Gladstone huNin4. oN-
pressed a desire 10 20" present To- witness the
testing If the Invention. In spite Of ihe weather
being anything hui inviting thr riEht h"norgnlr
" II. Gladstone. Vi T.. kept hi- appointment.
and WAS received very warmly by "A consid,
ertp saiH'lns 81 hnu ertnn r nrd
about The trce-fcllcr had hcen operating
before the right honorable gent lenans arrival.
n row 81 oaks and elms which lav. on one, side
OF the meadow ntte-ting lis capabilities. When
MIR. Gladstone renrhed the scene the iree-i"llcr
was carried b, four men to thu hnse OF n solid
Young oak between two and three feet in di-
nmftrr. All the fixing il received was a man
TRUSTING crow'ar into III" ground hehlni y
steady il while a second steadcd the saw blade
ut the free end with his hands unti a. lew
strokes gave II a bearing IN the trunk 81 the
tree lilst clear II the ground. Ttc operation OF
the saw bladr WAS precisely analogous 70 that oil
q carpenter using ripping saw to cul sap
ling Close to the ground. In four minutes after
iiH INK IN IN he widest pari, and feet inches in
Mr.. gladstone watched the process with II
most Interested. but that the machine was
cSan,Tds than IN iGs otand even OYER
Ing a better field ior rs oprra,lons than nan
m a..
long such u tree would take an expert woode,pt-
ter 10 fell the right honorable gentleman said he
thought It would he very nearly a day : Wur :
but on this point ne consulted ms son. VINO
seems 10 have inherited the pnt"rna taste for
fcllingtmhcr. The honorable neinberfor Mht-
10y did not think II WAS quite n days work. Then
the right honorable gentleman explained TO a
little circle 81 Interested auditors in response to
queries. or by way OF comparing notes WIN one
or two experts among them. that from the So.
verify Of the labor six hours continual Wood
chopping was a very good days work. There
would be great economy OF timber from the
use II the machine. as 1t cut close TO the
ground; whereas a man must have face OF
at least a loot. His own experience was that
cut. for the grain broke OF easily and did not
cling To the axe. Beech was far tougher. that
and ash being the two most difficult To- fell OF
our English trees on account Of their bending
ing, and he had splinter OF ash that had
broken IN in this way, IN his own experience,
two feet eight inches in length, The pleasant
est timber to cut was Spanish chestnut, be-
cause It came away So freely. the grain break
ing ensiy Vow was the most horrible thing
to cut Of all forest trees. OF holly he had no eX-
prricnce beyond specimen twenty inches III
4 setond oak. three feet one inch. was cut with
equal facility. then an elm, and finally the lar
g'st elm ON the ground. tough. gnarled trunk
! Ave feet across the largest diameter ana loul
/ feet in the smallest From the stOker allowing
| the steam to run down. u stoppage took place III
| the middle, but the Hctunl cutting time was
! about sixteen minutes. From n calculation OF
! the area of the cut in the trees that had hecr
| fcllrd and the times taken, il came ont that th'
machine cut ut the rat Of two superficial ie"
per minute ON which Mr. Gladstone expressed
/ the opinion that NJ from his own observation
/ n man = rate of working would be the same area
/ in an hour. the machine then being tested die
~ much work, whnn cutting; IN minute as
| man in nm hour. The right honorable Ecntlc
man was warmly cheered on leaving th'
! ground.