Thinning larch in Strathyre Forest
The image is courtesy of William Fleming, Polmont, who worked in the forest around 1958. William photographed the leaflet Strathyre Forest leaflet which featured this image of men felling and snedding first thinning larch trees. The trees to be removed have been blazed personably by a forester and the long white marks caused by slashing off a strip of bark are very visible.
Two men are crouched down cutting the marked trees off the stump appear to be using a bow saw (steel tubular frame holding a thin saw blade). The position of the hands and the short length of the saw indicate that this is probably not a cross cut saw. The third man snedding the felled trees is using a fairly heavy axe (6 lb wedge axe?) to remove all the braches off the tree trunk.
Willie writes ‘I wonder if anybody else dragged out first thinning trees with 8 gauge fencing wire looped round the trunks in noose form . They were pulled to the nearest rack path then let go if it was a good steep slope. We always had to shout a warning to the men on the log bing as they sped down the track.
Another thing we did at Strathyre was applying basic slag to young plants if they were in check on peat areas to help growth. Prior to the work we were given a demonstration on how to spread a neat ring round the base of the tree and avoid touching the plant at all costs or we would be severely dealt with. After the first day I went off with flu and when I returned to work I was shocked to see some of the men applied the slag by throwing a handful onto the tree and kicking the tree to knock of the evidence. I wonder if trees all survived?’
Any other first thinning stories would be very welcome.
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