Slasher Magazine Summary: Publication No. 235 - July 1967
The digitisation of the Slasher was undertaken by, and images courtesy of, the Forest Research Knowledge and Information Management staff based at both the Northern Research Station in Roslin, Scotland and Alice Holt in Surrey, where the original copies are currently located.
The content summary below was very kindly compiled by Diane Birkett, Bedfordshire. See PDF attachment link below the text to view the full document. A total of over 400 issues were produced between 1948 and the final issue in 2010.
Retirements
Sir Henry Beresford-Peirse, Director General and Deputy Chairman is to retire on 31st January 1968 after nearly 40 years serving the Commission and forestry in general.
Miss J. Geekie MBE, Senior Executive Officer in the Acquisition Branch at Edinburgh has retired after 20 years with the Commission.
Mr Willie Gough, Head Forester, Allerston has retired.
Mr Len Snowdon, Head Forester, Allerston has retired after joining the Commission as a forest worker at Ampleforth in 1929. A small party had assembled earlier at Low Dalby to wish Mr Snowden farewell and to mark the occasion, Mr and Mrs Snowden planted trees at the foot of Housedale.
Presentations
Mr Willie Gough, Head Forester, Allerston, retirement presentation at the Green Man in Malton.
Mr Len Snowdon, Head Forester, Allerston, was unable to attend the retirement presentation but was represented by Mrs Snowdon.
Welcoming
Mr John Dickson, currently Commissioner for Harvesting and Marketing will succeed Sir Henry Beresford-Peirse as Director General and Deputy Chairman when Sir Henry retires in January 1968.
Wall of Water
Mr William Muir, Chief Fire Officer of Northumberland has developed a device which will produce a wall of water and should prove of great value in fighting forest fires. It consists of lengths of hose, each of 75 feet, fitted with jets at intervals of 15 feet. With good pressure, it is possible to throw up a screen of water 30 feet high, so isolating outbreaks of fire. Each jet can discharge up to three gallons of water a minute.
The hose can be laid in the path of an advancing fire and operated from a distance, giving the firemen a greater measure of safety. For his work Mr Muir has been awarded a £400 grant from the Fire Services Research and Training Fund.
Mr C.A. Connell, Conservator, South West England, considers it a first class idea.
Battle of the Beaches
Mr G.H. Bowers, A. and F.O., South West England gives an update on the success in dealing with the disaster of the Torrey Canyon oil spill.
Three months ago, Mr E.J. Inglis, Conservancy Mechanical Engineer, reported on the battle against oil pollution along the coastline. He visited the Sennen Cove area to check on the employment of machines and was informed they had given first class service working all daylight hours possible, alongside similar tractors obtained from contractors and other sources. The method of working, developed by experience, involved intensive spraying of the oil impregnated beaches with concentrated detergent; the treated sand was then turned and mixed by blade dozing and ploughing. This work was completed at low tide, permitting the flood tide to wash out the contaminated sand. By personal measurement he ascertained that the crude oil had penetrated to depths of 10 to 14 inches. Bearing in mind that stretches of beach up to half a mile in length had been completely smothered by oil, the magnitude of the task can be appreciated.
The "Torrey Canyon" is sunk on the Seven Stones near the hamlet of Sennen, Cornwall.
Long Service Record
Mr Owen Alan Hughes, who joined the Commission as a Forest Worker at Elwy Forest, North Wales Conservancy in 1952 also has an outstanding record of public service. He was recently appointed chairman of the Abergele Urban Council.
Among his appointments Mr. Hughes represents the National Union of Agricultural Workers on the Denbighshire Agricultural Executive Committee; the County Safety Committee; Denbighshire Foreign Workers Panel; Ministry of Labour Disablement Advisory Committee; Colwyn Bay and District Trades Council; Ministry of Social Security Supplementary Tribunal, Rhyl and Colwyn Bay areas. He is also Vice Chairman of Colwyn Bay and District Local Employment Committee and Vice Chairman of the National Forestry Workers Advisory Committee.
Sailing Championship
Mr R. Vines, Forester at Challock, Kent, won the Civil Service Sailing Association dinghy championship on Southampton Water last month. He was sailing his Albacore Class dinghy, which he built from a kit in 1964 and normally races at Herne Bay.
He won both races in his group the following day, enabling him to win the overall trophy as well as his class.
He also won the trophy presented by the Civil Service Sports Council to the first Civil Servant in the overall championship.
Fertilisation by Helicopter
Mr. John Davies Assistant Conservator, Glasgow, believes regular aerial application of fertiliser to standing crops will become routine.
Mr Davies says small plots were established in the mid-Argyll district in West Scotland Conservancy to study the effects of putting ground mineral phosphate on areas of slow-growing Sitka spruce and the results were startling.
Trees planted on Molinia, Calluna and Eriophorum sites in 1945 doubled their total height after four years. As the result of these experiments and surveys made by Mr J. Atterson of the Research Branch and the District Officer, Mr I. Gillespie, it became clear that several thousand acres of plantations in mid-Argyll would benefit greatly from the application of phosphate.
Use of a helicopter for this purpose was examined. A trial contract was drawn up to fertilise 1,000 acres at Kilmory Forest last year. Good progress was made and the area was covered in 40 hours flying, spread over nine days.
The Coulter Pine
After the reference to a Coulter Pine in The Slasher last month, Mr Jack Jennings, Chief Forester, writing from Tirabad, Breconshire, remembers sowing several pounds of Coulter pine seed in Kennington Nursery 40 years ago. A thousand or two seedlings were lined out. Most of the exotics grown in Kennington were sent to Bedgebury.
Mr D. Parnall, Forester at Orlestone, South East England, said there are two fine examples of Coulter pine in the Tilgate block of St. Leonard's Forest. They were part of a pinetum formed by the Nix family, who owned the estate until the last war. He believes they date back to 1890, at least.
The proposed Crawley by-pass, when finally constructed, may result in the destruction of these pine and other trees. The cones produced 12 years ago were not quite beehives but were 10 inches high and six inches wide, The common name of the Coulter is the "Big Cone pine" and originated in California.
New Nature Reserve
A new nature reserve announced by the Nature Conservancy is in Holkham, Norfolk, and covers 9,700 acres. It is of special interest to foresters because it contains the well known pines planted on the sand dunes to prevent wind erosion and to protect the reclaimed marshland from blown sand.
In Holkham Bay, an islet has formed since 1942 around an abandoned Army vehicle and barbed wire. In 25 years, this islet has grown to 15 feet high and over 300 yards long.
Congratulations: Marriage
Congratulations to Mr James Plummer, formerly in Establishments Branch at Savile Row and now with Forest and Estate Management at Basingstoke, on his marriage to Miss Janina Smolikowska of Warsaw.
Congratulations: Birth
Congratulations to Mr A. Gallacher, Executive Officer, Glasgow and Mrs Gallacher (formerly Miss A. Traynor, Clerical Officer at Glasgow), on the birth of their son.
Congratulations: Award
Congratulations to Mr V.J. Gay, recently appointed Messenger at Woking and formerly with the Post Office, on being awarded the Imperial Service Medal. The presentation was made at Woking Post Office by the Head Postmaster.
Basingstoke Carnival Prize
Congratulations to the Basingstoke colleagues whose entry won first prize in the Basingstoke Carnival Procession.