Slasher Magazine Summary: Publication No. 19 - July 1949
The scanned images of the Slasher were produced by and courtesy of the Forest Research Data and Information Team staff based at Roslin, where some of the original copies are located. The Forestry England Information Knowledge Management Team and New Forest Heritage made available copies of The Slasher from their collections. Brian Mahony of the FC Retirement Association devised and coordinates the Slasher Project and has been instrumental in locating many missing editions and coordinating the searches to locate all the earlier publication numbers.
The content summary below was again very kindly compiled by Diane Birkett, Bedfordshire. See PDF attachment link below the text summary to view the full document. A total of over 420 issues or publications were produced between January 1948 and the final publication in 2010.
Hark! Hark The Deer Does Bark
A discussion about a 'mysterious' barking deer in the New Forest with suggestions by Mr D.W. Young, Deputy Surveyor, and Mr G.W. Parker, Forester, Plashetts, NE (England). Mr Young has a natural history committee working for him and members are carrying out a special survey of the New Forest. Some are collecting data on birds, while Mr O. Hook of Brockenhurst is surveying the mammals and is keen to identify the barking deer.
Annual Report and Other Publications
The Commissioners' 29th Annual Report is now a House of Commons Paper. It includes statistics for the Forest Year ending 30th September 1948 which show the area of forest planted was 36,404 acres (England 14,125 acres; Scotland 16,198 acres; and Wales 6,081 acres). Although this was about 6,600 acres short of the postwar programme figure, it represented an increase of 10,048 acres over the area planted in the previous year.
Of the total area planted, 23,932 acres were afforested and 12,472 acres - slightly more than one third - were felled woodland which was replanted.
28,500 acres were thinned (England 19,321 acres; Scotland 6,021 acres; and Wales 3,248 acres). Gross income from Sales of produce was £905,315.
Land acquired was 36,350 acres with 30,000 acres plantable.
Other recent publications have included the Guide to Glen More National Forest Park and pamphlets on Forestry in Wales.
Challenge
District Officer I.R.B. Marshall, NE(England), suggests the planting programme completed at Redesdale this year, amounting to 1,300 acres and involving 2,011,700 plants, is the highest for any one Forestry Commission unit in one year. Challenges are invited.
Theft From a Show Tent
Forestry Commission employees E.T. McKowin and A.V. Gray, both Forest Worker Trainees, who were assisting S.J. Betterton in staging the agricultural show exhibit at the Bath and West Show at Ashton Court, lost their suitcases, which were left in a tent behind the forestry display.
The Pole to Beat All Flag-Poles
The flagpole used by the Commission at the Royal Show, Shrewsbury, this month was a 23-year old Sitka spruce grown in Gwydyr Forest, North Wales, and 60 feet in height. Untrimmed, the pole was in the region of 75 feet. It was provided for the show by the students of the Gwydyr Forester Training School.
Visit to Glentrool National Forest Park
Around 40 staff from the South Conservancy Office, Scotland, and their friends had an excursion through Glentrool National Forest Park. The party drove via Balmaclellan, Murray's Monument and had a ramble to the Bruce Stone after an al fresco lunch. A seaside drive to Gatehouse of Fleet followed with a stop for tea at the Anworth Arms.
District Officer R.R. Donald and Forester J.D. McDonald explained the nursery technique when the party walked around the nurseries of Fleet Forest. Other Foresters who joined the party were Forester A.D. Macrae (Glentrool) and Forester R.C. Calder (Carrick).
Who’s Who in the Commission (No. 1)
A potted biography of Forester G.H. Richards who is in charge of Penllergaer, South Wales.
Born on 31st October, 1887, at Bangor, North Wales, educated at Friars School and University College of North Wales, where he gained the Certificate in Forestry. In 1908 he joined the staff of Dixon's Nursery, Chester, and in 1910 was appointed Foreman Woodman at Welbeck Abbey, Nottinghamshire. He joined the Office of Woods in 1912, taking up duty at Hafod Fawr Forest, Merioneth.
He served in the first World War with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and Machine Gun Corps from September, 1914 to 1918, taking part in the battles of Givenchy, Somme, Cambrai, etc. being once wounded in action. He came to the newly established Forestry Commission in 1919 and served at Delamere, Allerston, Bramshill, Bruton and Cwmogwr.
He married a Welsh-speaking Welsh girl from Patagonia, has two daughters (aged 23 and 19), the elder of whom is teaching at a Secondary School at Ealing after taking her degree in English, while the younger is taking a course in Domestic Science at Liverpool University. A Welshman who speaks English.
The Dead Policeman
A correspondent comments on a report of a Brown Owl corpse hung up as a bird scarer in a forest nursery, which he believes is rather like hanging up a dead policeman to frighten off robbers.
Cock Fighting in Wales
District Officer H. Walcot, North Wales Conservancy, gives more details about the cock-fight wager article in the May issue of Slasher. The tenant of Brynfedwog Farm, on the Glanllyn Estate, near Bala (North Wales) has on the boundary of one of his fields a small depression, covering about a quarter of an acre. This depression was apparently in the distant past used for cock-fighting, and a former tenant of the adjoining farm, Bryngwyn (on the Aberhirnant Estate) used, it is believed, annually to fight his cock against the then tenant of Brynfedwog, the owner of the winning cock having the right to the hay grown on the arena. It is interesting to note that until 1942 the right of the adjoining farm to take the hay, presumably as a result of the last cock-fight (however long ago this may have been) was acknowledged by the tenant of Brynfedwog Farm.
Sports - Cricket
Ronald H. Wilkinson of the staff of Director, Scotland, has a talent for throwing a javelin, discus, wire hammer and 16 lb shot. He won the silver bowl of his athletic club for the best all-round performance last year, in addition to receiving many other prizes.
At the end of the cricket season, R.H. Rossiter, Clerk on the staff of Conservator, South West England, will have completed 21 years in Bristol Club Cricket, 18 seasons with Knowle C.C. and 3 seasons with his present club, the Bohemians. His total number of runs scored to date is 7,060, an average of 22 per match. He played with the New Zealand C.S. Dempster's eleven during the war and joined county players in matches played in Bristol in aid of Red Cross funds.
Chocolates for the Colleen
Nineteen young ladies in the Headquarters Typing Pool staged a “Brighter Office” Contest during the lunch-time. The contest was devised by B.R. Davies and the object of the competition was to allow the three judges - Miss R. Jackson (Stores Section), A.D. Palmer (Establishment Section) and M. Shapcott (Finance) - to select the girl with the prettiest summer dress, having due regard to the general appearance and deportment of the wearer. Each contestant was called upon to enter the room, sit at a table, eat a strawberry offered on a plate by J.G.S. Gillingham (Education Branch), and then walk away.
The winner, who was presented with a large box of chocolates by Mr. Davies, was Miss A.L. Hunter, a colleen from Northern Ireland who is employed in the Stores Section.
Honour
E.S.J. Hinds, Chief Clerk, Office of Director, England received an M.B.E. in recognition of his outstanding work on behalf of the Commission.
Staff News
District Officer H. Walcot, North Wales, is now a Fellow of the Land Agent's Society.
Paul Brook, E.O. Establishment Section, HQ., has joined the Navy for his period of National Service.
Transfers
G.E. Lawson, Forester, Ennerdale, NW(E), transferred to Swaffham, E(E);
S. Watkins, Forester, New, transferred to Lyminge, SE(E);
G. Stokoe, Forester, Mounces, NE(E), transferred to Kielder, NE(E);
W. Deal, Forester, Kinver, NW(E), transferred to New;
R.B. Hardy, Forester, Santon Downham, E(E), transferred to Burwell, E(E);
A. McKay, Forester, Kilcoy, N(S), transferred to Morangie, N(S);
P.C. Richmond, Forester, Lyminge, SE(E), transferred to Alton and Basing, SE(E);
D.B. Crawford, Forester, Research, transferred to Kirkhill, E(S);
C.F. Russell, Foreman, Dean, transferred to Dean School
C.N. Simpson, Foreman, Whickhope, NE(E), transferred to Smales, NE(E);
K.N. Rees, Foreman, Vinehall, SE(E), transferred to Plashetts, NE(E);
A. McMillan, Foreman, Saddell, W(S), transferred to Carradale, W(S);
J.F. Barden, Foreman, Lyminge, SE(E), transferred to Alice Holt;
J.H. Styles, Foreman, Research, Wareham (New), transferred to Research, Kennington Nursery;
W.L. Sargent, Foreman, Wauchope, S(S), transferred to Mabie, S(S).
Retired
Mr A.L. Felton OBE, retired from the office of Conservator, South East, England. A presentation was made at Woking by Sir William Taylor, who was welcomed by Mr J.M. Ross, State Forest Officer. In attendance were members of the Conservancy Office staff and Mrs Felton; Miss A.M. Tanner; Lady Taylor; Mr R.H. Smith; Mr F.W. Hamilton (Secretary); Mr J. Butcher; Mr C.R.C. Pink and Miss Manicom from HQ.; Mr. E.S.J. Hinds and Mr. R.A. Axtell from the Office of Director, England: Mr J.S.R. Chard, Mr R.F. Wood, Miss O. Harman and Miss J. Sharpe (from Alice Holt); District Officers E.S.V. Burton and A.R. Sutton; and Foresters F. Nelmes, G.W. Hollis, T. Aston, G. Holter, N.J. Lingwood and Foreman Taylor.
Marriage
Mr John Overy, H.E.O., Headquarters, was married to Miss Ethel Boyd.
Births
The birth of a son to Mrs Garthwaite and District Officer P.F. Garthwaite (North East, England).
The birth of a son to Mrs Godwin and District Officer G.E. Godwin (North Wales).
The birth of a son to Mrs Farmer and Mr T. Farmer (Chief Clerk, Glasgow).
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