Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-06-24

ing small berries, first green then
| black, resembling a cherry, only
much smaller, while the seed is
much the same as the cherry seed.
This seed has a very bitter taste
much the same as the bark. while
the meat portion of the berry has
an agreeable taste.
The tree when found where
other trees are not very tall, espe-
cia1ly among scft maple, dogwood.
crabapple, alder, vine-maple, ETC.,
grows quite tall and portly, with
graceful limbs such as a cherry
tree has, while on the other hand
if among tall trees its growth is
stunted, and the bush is small in
body. The wood on the inside
is OF a reddish color, while the
outer part of about one third of
the diameter of the tree, is very
white. The bark next to the tree
has a golden color, aud is very
brittle, breaking one way as easi-
;ly as the other.
There are several methods en-
ployed in peeling the bark from
the tree. Some peelers Climb the
tree to nearly its top, stripping il
clean to the ground, leaving the
stump standing, while others fell
the tree. This method is used
more generally by women and
children. The bark is taken frem
the woods and dried in the sun,
being spre ad out with the inside
down, avoiding exposure of that
| side to the sun, rain Or dew,
which has tende ncv to turn it
black. which would decrease its
market value.
There are a few contrac o
and commissions buyers i'll Port
land who are attempting to in
struct the peelers as to how their
work should be done. If these
instructions are net complied with
the contractor attemps IT, deduct
a cent a pound from the market
price, which is clear gain to him,
as the real value of the bark is
not lessened. The buyers instruct
not to peel the tree nearer than
one foot of the ground, complain
ing that below that point the bark
is woody, and consequently value
less. This is no. a fact, as the
woody bark comes from the very
large trees, which have been
snagged by the falling timber etc.
An abundance of moss is usual
/ ly found on the chit'im tree which
should be removed. After being
dried the bark should be crushed.
Clubs and similar articles are used
for this purpose, but the most
common method, being most ef-
fective, is to run the bark through
a feed cutter, the result being
greatly more satisfactory. The
bark is then placed in sacks, be-
ing tamped in until they contain
fifty to sixty pounds.
Most that has been said about
this bark has been by those who
traffic in it. and their statements
have been quite erroneous. There
is not a great deal of this timber
remaining, as the average buyer
would have it understood the
other way, in order to keep down
the price. In all probability the
time for cheap chittim bark will
be- at an end by another year.
There will be a great deal of this
bark put on the market this year,
which will be bought at low
figure by the commission men,
and when, the supply is exhausted
he will exact from the manufac-
turer an enormous price for what
he bought for almost nothing.
The average settler has hereto
fore ruthiessly destroyed the chit
timber, notappreciating its worth.
In ten years from now those who
have a quantity of chittim trees
will be able to dispose of the bark
at very fancy price. probably
so cents pound. Oregon Lum'
herman.