Slasher Magazine Summary: Publication No. 244 - April 1968
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.
The Slasher Editor Retiring
The editor of The Slasher is retiring after more than 21 years service as Principal Information Officer with the Commission.
His successor Lt. Col. D.B. Rooke, comes to the Commission from the Ministry of Defence, where he has been in charge of the Press Facilities branch. His assistant will be Mr. J.M.D. Dunbar, who has been appointed Senior Information Officer. Mr. Dunbar is currently serving as Command Public Relations Officer, Royal Navy, Portsmouth.
Retirements
Mr E.M. Conder, Assistant Conservator, Harvesting and Marketing has retired. He joined the Commission in September 1939, but went to serve in the war the following month, returning in June 1946.
Mr D. Munro, Head Forester, Carradale, West Scotland has retired after 42 years with the Commission.
Mr P.H. Walker, Conservancy Engineer, South Scotland has retired.
Mr A.J. Slade of Halwill Forest has retired aged 72 years. He has served as a Forest Worker at Halwill for over 31 years.
Presentations and Tributes
Mr D. Munro, Head Forester, Carradale, West Scotland received tributes at a dinner dance in Campbeltown on his retirement.
Mr P.H. Walker, Conservancy Engineer, South Scotland attended a presentation on his retirement.
Resignation
Mr J.R. Thom, Director of Research has resigned to take up an appointment in Guyana on a forest management and utilisation project.
Appointments
Mr George Holmes succeeds Mr J.R. Thom as Director of Research.
Mr D.E.W. Blandford will assume the position of Communications Officer on the retirement of Mr C. Connell later in the year. Meanwhile, he will assume the role of Assistant Radio Officer.
Miss Sylvia Crowe is re-appointed as Landscape Consultant for a further two years.
"Nonesuch" Main Mast
Success in the search for suitable timber for a mast, required on a replica of the 17th century sailing ship "Nonsuch", being built by the Hudson Bay Company in Appledore, Devon.
Mr I.F. MacIver, District Officer writing from Barnstaple hopes a mainmast will be provided from one of several Scots pine felled at Halwill Forest in the South West England Conservancy and processed at Winkleigh Sawmill.
A Holiday for Your Son?
A holiday exchange is suggested by Oberforstmeister Kurt Vyplel, whose home is in the Austrian Alps, 100 miles south of Vienna. His 16-year old son, Kurt would like to spend a few weeks during the summer holidays with a Commission family who have a son of a similar age. They would then spend an equal time with him and his family in Austria.
Trees at Bowaters
Ten trees up to 20 ft. tall have been planted by the Commission at Messrs Bowaters’ pulp and paper mill at Ellesmere Port. The trees, comprising two specimens each of Sitka spruce, Norway spruce, Grand fir, Noble fir and Western hemlock were supplied by Dovey Forest in the North Wales Conservancy.
Supervising the planting were Chief Forester T.L. Jenkins assisted by Forester R.J. Williams.
Conservator J.H. James and the manager of the Mersey Mill, Mr T.H. Wilding, also took part in the formal planting ceremony.
Obituaries
Mr James Fowler, former Forester at Neroche, South West England has died.
Farewell to Ffani Lloyd, the 35 year old mare who worked in Dovey Forest, North Wales with owner Mr Idwal Lewis of Llwydiarth Farm.
Logging By Balloon
Details of logging by balloon in inaccessible areas, which is being considered, to cut down the cost of building forest roads. Other countries trying out this form of logging are Sweden, Canada and America. The cost and availability of helium would be a factor in the decision.
Forest Fires
Around 200 acres of young trees have been destroyed by fire already this year, mostly in South Wales.
Former Head Forester and Instructor at Faskally, Mr W.F. Stoddart, who has retired to New South Wales in Australia, gives some statistics on the softwood planting in Australia and compares the acreage of trees destroyed by fire in South Wales with that in Australia.
Christmas Flashback
Last December, the South Wales Conservancy dispatched 75 Christmas trees varying from 10 feet to 30 feet high to the Leeward and Windward Islands in the West Indies. Collected by Messrs Geests from local forests, the trees were transported to Barry for shipment by refrigerated banana boats.
MPs Visit Alice Holt Lodge
A party of MPs visited Alice Holt Lodge recently. The visitors, Mr. John Parker; Mr Peter Jackson; the Earl of Dalkeith; Sir John Gilmore; and the Marquess of Hamilton were met by Mr Andrew Watt, Commissioner for Forest and Estate management. During a tour, the visitors were shown research work on silviculture, soils, genetics forest pathology and entomology.