The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-10-14

fY y the springtime, when primroses
n are carpeting the copses and
81 hedgerows, there come gangs OF
N men into the Hampshire woods to
fell the oak trees and take off
their bark. They work hard for their
job only lasts during the flow of the
sap, 1t being impossible to bark trees
unless the sap is in them, and the
gang are paid for the weight of the
bark which they can manage to strip
off in that time.
There are three distinct flights" of
sap, each lasting aboGt a fortnight. If
the weather is warm the first flight
may begin early in April; but if
checked BY frosty nights, perhaps not
until the beginning Of May. The last
Eight is at midsummer The first one,
Just as the buds arc b. ginning to
swell is the best. as the bark is then
heavy with sap; and the last one is
much the poorest. The bark ought to
make a rafting sound when taken off,
bUt fkcre is little or no rattle" in
midsummer bark, and it is much light
er. a the sap is in the leaves. Only
ID acE" trees. i. e.. trees that will not
stris IN tn spring, are left tin then.
First of all. tce bari. a&5 ju b. t. sloj
70 see # it is ready to strip To do
his a man goes up to the oak. cuts
4 bit off branch, and is thus able to
sc If the sap is we'll up. This is reai.
i tae best test. But very Cften in
81 aad Of climbing up, he marks ont
uah lis Ak bread belt on the stand
.nz tree two or three feet above the
19nnd, and into the cut inserts bis
tripping iron, which IS an instru-
.aent something liha very long
chisel II tie bark does not uart read
ily from the wood, hut sticks ard
breaks, it shows that TIE SAD Is NOT
vet flowing, and the tree must be LETT
till later on In the season. If, how
ever, it is ready, the BARRIERS can run
round the tree, removing the whole
ring in one piece, so that it can be
stood up on the ground like a gigantic
cuff. Next the "breech" bark is re,
moved. This is the part below the
belt, and is the very best piece 1t is
taken off very carefully in narrow
strips running right down TO the base
of the trunk, and the stripping sounds
Just like tearing calico.
1t is important TO throw the tree III
the right place, SO as to avoid dam
aging it's neighbors, and unless 1t has
a decided lean in the desired direc-
ton, this has to be managed by means
Of "sink" and wedges. The "sink"
is made by chopping away some of the
trunk on the side to which the tree is
to be made to fall Then the big
cross-cut saw comes into play, and
iron wedges are driven in closely fol
lowing the saw Ii the latter gets too
far ahead it becomes impossible to
get the wedge in. II simply flies out
when struck, and the tree is liable to
fall backwards over the saw, and prob
ably does a great deal of unnecessary
damage The men work in gangs and
very hard. ours is very busy job"
they say; you see, we have got to do
It all while it runs" and the dirtier
they get from the sticky sap the bet
ter pleased they are, as it shows that
1t is running we'll. Three skilful men
will completely strip medium sized
tree in two or three hours. The bark
is first divided into lengths Of about
two feet Then, to loosen it, the cuts
are tapped with the back of a bill
hook or an ak, and the whole piece is
levered off with the stripper. Cold
weather and nights frosts make it
sticky and hard to take off, but warm
weather makes the bark run" well,
The younger members of the gang are
called colts" and 1t is their lob to
strip the smaller branches, while the
ganger usually does the body bark or
trunk pieces. The barkers begin early
In the morning and go on till dark:
but, though the work is hard, they find
1t very pleasant in the woods in |
spring, and the outdoor life seems to
suit them. Dinner-hour is a welcome
break in the days work. The young