Slasher Magazine Summary: Publication No. 26 - February 1950
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.
The Dedication Scheme
The United Kingdom Forestry Committee has decided to recommend the Dedication Scheme to its constituent members. While there has always been general agreement on the principles of dedication, response by private woodland owners has not been as enthusiastic as it might have been, and there has been a considerable amount of criticism to the effect that the economic advantages of the scheme were not sufficiently attractive. Owners, through the Committee, have therefore pressed for modifications, and certain changes have now been agreed.
The principle alterations, which apply to both Basis I and Basis II, make provision, subject to certain conditions, for an owner to obtain release from dedication in respect of the whole or part of his woodlands, and for the appointment of an independent Investigating Committee to advise the Commissioners in any cases of dispute as to whether forest operations have been properly carried out.
Furthermore, where the all-important matter of finance is concerned, there are to be increased planting and maintenance grants for owners who participate in the scheme under Basis II - the planting grants are increased from £10 to £12 per acre and the maintenance grants from 3s. 4d to 4s per acre, subject to revision after October, 1951.
It is now to be hoped that owners will give the scheme the support it deserves, so that in the shortest possible time, flourishing plantations may take the place of those unsightly felled areas which today pock-mark the face of Britain.
Staff Suggestion Scheme
Mr Walter Evans, Chief Clerk, Cardiff, has received three separate awards. Two "guinea winners" made useful recommendations regarding checks employed in the control of finance and the use of certain types of leave application forms; his third suggestion, which brought him three guineas, was that the filing holes should be punched in stationery before use.
Mr E.F. Whiting, of Bristol, formerly a Clerical Officer and now an Executive Officer received three guineas for having designed a form which will go a long way towards seeing that crates and other containers are returned to their rightful owners, and that consequently the Department is not out of pocket.
Foreman F. Stephenson, of Kielder (Mounces), NE(E), received two guineas for his suggestion that the Ministry of Transport be asked to give priority to the allocation of Diesel railway engines to those lines which run for considerable distances through afforested land.
Mr B.R. Davies, of Headquarters, received two guineas for suggesting that the normal marking of thinnings should be by an edged tool, thus saving paint,
Mr John Harper, H.E.O. at Headquarters, received three guineas for his proposals regarding the use of motor scooters as a means of light transport for forestry purposes.
Forester R.A. Allison, Pitmedden, East Scotland, received two guineas for his suggestion that arrangements be made with local fire services to sound the alarm in two blasts on receiving a call from the Commission. This would certainly have the effect of immediately placing on tip-toe all concerned with reinforcing forest fire-fighters.
The Festive Season at Alice Holt
Nearly 80 people attended the annual Christmas lunch, which was served in the panelled hall at Alice Holt Lodge, the Forest Research Station. Among the visitors were Dr L. Levisohn, who is well known for her work in connection with forest research, and Mr K.R. Snook, Conservancy Estate Officer. Well earned thanks went to the Cook, Mrs Bunce, and her assistant Mrs Knight, to Miss S.B. Page for producing the menu-cards, and to the Canteen Committee. Some 40 children were present at the annual party for juveniles, and Robin Farbrother was a convincing Father Christmas. The programme included a film show.
The Early Worm
An 18-inch adder was killed on Craigshiel Hill, Forest of Ae, Dumfries-shire, on 12th January. An unusually mild spell of weather must have aroused it from its hibernation, for it is almost unique to see an adder in winter.
In Merrie Englande - A Cannock Cameo
Those old foresters were mighty tough. The year is 1267; the scene Cannock Chase (now one of the Commission's largest forests in the English Midlands) and the story runs: "Walter de Clivedon, forester in fee of Teddesley, and Roger Pecham, riding forester of Knoc, found Thomas de Bromley, a frequent transgressor in the forests of Stafford and Salop, in the park covers of Teddesley with bows and arrows, and he defended himself and took refuge in an oak tree and shot arrows at them, and they took him by force and delivered him to the Keeper of the Castle at Bridgenorth". (From "Historic Staffordshire", by R.K. Dent).
An Introduction to Forestry – Draughtsman’s Reminiscences
Draughtsman W.B. Turnbull, West Conservancy, Scotland, writes of his introduction to forestry early in early in the war when he was one of 300 Boy Scouts from Edinburgh. They helped to extract timber from Inverliever Forest, Loch Awe, for use in the south as anti-invasion posts.
We were quartered in and around Inverliever Lodge, adds Mr. Turnbull, and we travelled by bus, lorry and launch to our respective jobs. It was a hot summer, but occasionally the weather lapsed into traditional "Scots mist", when it rained bathfulls. This gave us the opportunity to witness one of the features of Loch Awe, which has a considerable rise and fall in wet seasons. The stream which flows past the Lodge rose overnight by about six feet to cover the approaches and lap the small road bridge at the foot of the drive. But by early afternoon, the water had dropped to normal level.
Our work consisted of transporting trees felled by Newfoundlanders, and stacking them at the roadsides; they were then dragged by horses or tractors to the loch-side, where they were made into rafts and towed across the loch by launch for conversion at the sawmills at Durran. Most of us travelled by launch up the loch and were dropped in parties at various piers with such names as Kilmaha, Barr Phort, and New York. The engineer-cum-navigator must have had a difficult task with 70-100 Scouts on board, for we tended to obscure his view.
Our work, I believe, was a success, and in an article in The Scotsman, it was pointed out that the volume of extraction undertaken in three months would normally have taken 18 months.
I still have souvenirs in the form of photographs, a single wood chip more than a foot long which was cut by a Newfoundlander, and one which will remain with me all my days - this I got when I jumped on a stack of piled timber to avoid a passing horse and drag. The timber heeled over and my leg was trapped, and what I thought at the time was a slight knock later resulted in the removal of part of the bone and the insertion of a silver plate.
Cricket
The cricketing record of Warrener A.G. Martin, of Savernake Forest, South West England, is worthy of mention. Playing for Little Bedwyn in 1946 he took 102 wickets, the average number of runs being 3.69; the following year he took 124 wickets, with an average of 5.72 runs; in 1948 his "bag" was 104 wickets, and the average 4.70 runs; and in 1949 he took 99 wickets, the average number of runs being 5.47.
In 1948 Mr Martin was invited to take part in a trial game for his county, but declined to do so because at the time Little Bedwyn was doing well in a competition run by a national newspaper - a competition which was eventually won by the village.
Forester J.T. Wildash, of Savernake, has played in two trial games for his county.
Presentation
Ian Wood, a young Forest Worker at Chiddingfold, South East England, has been in the news. At the annual meeting of the Guildford branch of the R.S.P.C.A., he was presented by the Chairman Sir Ralph Oakden, with a fountain pen, in recognition of his rescue of a cat which was stranded in a 50 ft elm, accomplished at considerable risk. Ian has been employed at Chiddingfold for about eight months.
Fire at Forest Hostel
A fire occurred at Nevis Hostel, near Fort William. The outbreak was discovered in the kitchen quarters, possibly caused by the bursting of a lamp. The whole of the wooden building was threatened, but prompt work by Forest Workers A. McLennan, W. Douglas, J. Foley, I. McDougall and cook J.F. Renwick kept the blaze within bounds. On his arrival on the scene, Forester A. Mackie called the Fort William Fire Brigade, and assistance was also forthcoming from a nearby Youth Hostel. The fire was under control within about 20 minutes, the damage being restricted to the kitchen, where all utensils, crockery and stores were destroyed.
Letter From An Optimist
Extract from a letter to Head Forester Jones at Delamere, NW England: "I wish to purchase a small spruce or fir Christmas tree, complete with roots in good condition, which will grow when replanted in the garden after a week indoors. I understand that you can supply these trees."
Sport
West Scotland Conservancy Office accepted a challenge to a badminton match against the personnel of Loch Ard and Achray Forests. This was played at Aberfoyle and was won by the Conservancy Office by 6 games to 3.
The sports record of the Conservancy Office is now two football matches, one cricket match and one badminton match, and with the exception of one football match, all have been won.
Transfers
D.N. Williams, District Officer, North Petherton, SW(E), transferred to Dunster, SW(E);
G.K. Murray, District Officer, Aberlour, E(S), transferred to Speymouth, E(S);
W.F. French, District Officer, Bridgeton, E(S), transferred to Mulben, E(S);
F.G. Rogers, Forester, Kirroughtree, S(S), transferred to Dalmacallan, S(S);
D.B. Crawford, Forester, Kirkhill, E(S), transferred to Tentsmuir, E(S);
W.A. Lockhart, Foreman, South Laggan, N(S), transferred to North Strome, N(S);
W. Murray, Foreman, Newcastleton, S(S), transferred to Dalbeattie, S(S);
D.J. Tickell, Assistant Engineer, Launceston, SW(E), transferred to Wareham, SW(E).
Retired
S.W. Colwill, Head Forester, Wareham Forest, SW(E), has retired after 30 years service with the Commission.
Engagement
In North West England, Miss Pamela Flowers, a Clerk in the Conservancy Office, Establishment and Utilisation Section has become engaged to Mr Richard Chard, District Officer and Conservancy Utilisation Officer.
Birth
A boy was born to Mrs Fletcher and Mr James Fletcher, Forester of Ae, Britain's first forest village, which is being built in Dumfriesshire. Joseph Peter Fletcher is the first baby to be born in the village.
Obituary
Mr C.R.C. Pink, Senior Executive Officer at Headquarters, died on 8th January 1950 after a fairly long illness.