New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-21
THERURALLI OF ENGLAND
BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID.
Will
,.pv srp1pprps HITRDLE-MAKERS AND
oA' ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

tracts of woodland and in nearly all more or less OF
them. ! do not speak of tho half score great
forests" OF Government belonging but OF WOODS
owned by private individuals. the territorial mag
mates of the land usually the surroundings OF
their grand country mansions In mountainous
and billy districts they are often OF considerable
extent, covering square miles, and mostly occupy
ing decvties too steep to be conveniently araoic'
But there are also many tracts of woodland OIL
level ground where the soil is too poor 10 DC Wol'h
tilling; and sometimes where worth IL, sucn arc
maintained by plutocrats regardless oil tne coS''
nartlv for the grandeur of the thing but as
much to make covers for game. True oliy lns'u0
tbe mark or in the immediate vicinity of the man
sion are the trees permitted to attain any great age
or size; the outside timber being converted INTO
money as soon as it be comes available for certain
economic purposes and therefore salable. This
nccurs periodically at intervals OF from twenty TO
tventy-fye wears; as it has been found that such
vounc trees lay better than older ones the uses TO
which they are put being tt make wheel-spokes
iaths. hurdles field gates for farms, and the IKE
The bark too, is a valuable commodity uispoSaoio
at the tanyaIds, as is also the charcoal oDtaincu
from the lop and top" requisite in many IRON
works. Hence the industries Of Bark-Strlppihg'
Hurdle-Making and Charcoal-Burnin
In woodland tract of large extent this WORK OF
although the trees are not available till after
twenty years growth the fallase is not all done at
the same time, but extends over many years, IN
each of which section of the wood is doomed. 1t
Is not altogether disforested, however; the young
sapnps being left to lad and grow up TO trees III
their turn so that while one portion OF the TIMBER
is being cut down Others are getting ready LOT the
axe in various stages of advancement
1t is The Bark Stripper who leads of; his WORK
commencing about the middle of April, when the
sap begins to flow for without this his task would
be difficult or scarcely practicable. lie has three
spells at it, as in England there are three separate
"runnings" of the sap in trees. The hrst' or
sspripg SAP" as called, continues for period of
four or five weeks, when ii ceases to flow After
brief interval it commences running again but only
for short while till stagIancy once more ensues.
This is also of short continuance, and is succeeded
nv the last. OF "midsummer sap" in late June and
the earlier DAYS of July: after which the business
of bark-stripping is at an end for the year dan
perous business it is while 1t lasts; though likely
the reader of this will wonder al my saying so.
For | take it, your strippers in the States DO tlelr
work with the trees telled and lying along the
ground Sometimes it is so in England, where the
timber is large and intended for house-Oulldlng
props in mines railway sleepers and such IKE
But the smaller sort, meant for tie other purposes
] have spoken Of calls for different manpulatlon
and would be spoiled, at least rendered less III
for it's uses were the trees cutdown before being
barked. The stripping. therefore, is done on the
tree as it stands. the cutting down to come alter
ward; hence the danger.
The mode of procedure is as follows: The stripper
first makes hun rough ladder, by which he may
ascend the trees trunk far as it will reach. If
above that there still be portion of the boe with
IN Uiv m fOOthOll. a
series of iron pms made expressly for this purpose
and by these continues his climb from one TO the
other On getting to the highest ascenda5le point
of the trunk he wrggles himself out upon the
branches as far as these will bear him; then pees
off their bark. and lets it fall TO the earth. Inc
tool employed is the stripper "a little iron blade.
steel-tipped, and in shape resembling the ace OF
spades with wooden handle in socket; the whole
implement being about the size and weight of
mortising chisel. But for stripping the trunk,
where the bark is thicker and more adheTent he uses
q stripper" of somewhat bigger blade and longer
shalt. though otherwise the same. Dealing with
the larger limbs he chips" them-that is, notches
them Observation-Disclosures distances of about three
feet apart then making longitudinal incision, he
enters the stripper and "beaves' the bark Oil IN
sections His work is begun on the tOpmost
branches of the tree and carried downward for II
done the ether way, the already peeled and slippery
limbs would make it both more diifcult and more
dangerous When all the boughs have been decor
ticated the trunk is attacked, IL too being
@chlpped" into sections and stripped from above
downward If of large circumference the IRON steps
are driven in at distances all around it, for then the
thick heavy bark calls for extra strength and firm
support in the heavng off, the strpper using his
arms, head and shoulders to detach it.
The danger lies chiefly in barking the upper
l. oft in
death. No year passes without record of more than
one stripper-in some years many of them-receiv-
ing sore injury or being killed outright 10y falling
from the trees. Passing wood where they have
been at work. and seeing the branches bare almos'
TO their topmoSt twigs, one can well believe this
wondering, too, at their having ventured out SO
far True, they are not necessltated to take such
risk it being understood that where the branch is
deemed untrustworthy they may hack it OFF and do
the barking Oh the ground. But these fellows are
very fearless, and too often very reckless.
The reader will he wanting to know what is the
reward for this pcrous work; toilsome work too,
as anyone will know who has ever climbed tree.
Indeed. when his days task is done the strpper
nav be oft seen returning to his home in hotbling
gait thoroughly used up. But his wage what is
itf Well that depends on how he may have sue
ceeded at his ork as the payment IL pre- rata-by
the ton of bark The prce per ion not for the bark
but the stripping it, is different for different sized
timber. Where the trees are large it is less and
with what is called coppice wood" more not
that the latter difficult to strip but from its
taking longer time to get the same quantity OIL OF
it. The scale ranges from up to 81 los. per ton.
but the average rate will be about So. This in
cludes railing" the bark; that is resting it on end
against rails supported forked uprights in order
that it may get dry. lie is a clever strpper who
in he WI v
hours day; and the ordinary hands fall far short
of that, some not exceeding half ton. From this
tho rate of wages may be deduced
The strippers work in gangs" of eight or ten