Slasher Magazine Summary: Publication No. 43 - July 1951
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 New Forestry Bill
By the time you read this the new Forestry Bill will have received its Second Reading in the House of Commons and will be well on the way towards becoming an Act. Briefly, it is intended that this new legislation will make the Commissioners responsible for establishing and maintaining a reserve of growing timber. The existing power to licence felling (which is conferred by the Defence Regulations, which are not permanent) will be continued, and extended. Thus with the passing of the Act the Commissioners will have power to refuse licences or to insist on replanting as a condition of the issue of a felling licence - a power which, had it been held years ago, would have gone a long way towards ensuring that we should now see few, if any, of those depressing areas of felled and derelict woodland which deface our countryside.
The Commissioners will also be given power, subject to safeguards, to compel felling where it is necessary to prevent decay, or where it is otherwise necessary for the good of a crop. Matters are not one-sided, however, for if an owner is aggrieved by the conditions on a licence or by the refusal of a licence, he will be entitled to have his case reviewed by a panel set up by the Minister of Agriculture, or Secretary of State, who may reverse or modify the Commissioners' decision.
It should, perhaps, be stated that under the Act, a central advisory committee for the whole country, to be known as the Home Grown Timber Advisory Committee, and Regional Advisory committees for each Conservancy, will become statutory bodies. This is, of course, only a very brief sketch of some of the more important aspects of the Bill.
A Career in Forestry
Forest Offices are now displaying a pale yellow and black poster which draws attention to the opportunity for Forest Workers to enter a Forester Training School. Readers of the Slasher are asked to make the contents of the poster as widely known as possible, for it is important that the volume of entrants to the Schools should be increased if there is to be a satisfactory output of trained men to meet the requirements of the rapidly expanding forest programme, and of private estates.
The main points to remember in interesting those who wish to take up forestry as a career are that would-be students must have a year's practical experience of work in the woods before qualifying for entry to a School. During training, tuition and board and lodging are free and certain cash allowances are paid. On successful completion of the course, which is of two years' duration, a Forester's Certificate is awarded which could lead to an established and pensionable post with the Forestry Commission or in a Colonial forest service.
Reward for a Forestry Worker - Sequel to a Forest Find
This is a story of an incident which had an unexpected ending; it also proves that Headquarters is no soul-less machine, and that the Establishment Section staff are just as human as other people, given the chance.
As reported in The Slasher, a Forest Worker in North East England recently found a 14th Century seal which had been turned up by the plough. It was sent to the Society of Antiquaries at Newcastle, who offered to purchase it from the finder for £5. But there is an official instruction which requires all finds of this nature to be offered by the Department to the British Museum, so that the Society's offer had to be refused and the seal reclaimed. In due course the British Museum informed Headquarters that they would like to retain the seal, and named not £5 but £10 as the sum which they thought would be a "fair reward" to the finder. Headquarters concurred and awarded £10 to the Forest Worker.
Forestry in Spain
Returning from a visit to Spain, Sir William Taylor, former Director General of the Forestry Commission, sent us the following note. "Spanish history," he writes, "records that the Dons cut and consumed their natural forests in the course of the prosperous era that followed the discovery of America. In a recent round-about journey of 3,000 miles from Irun to Seville, Malaga and Granada and back along the east coast to Barcelona and the frontier, I saw few trees and very little evidence of the practice of forestry, though there were many dry river beds and much erosion.
"Pinus insignis and poplars have been planted in the Basque Provinces and, south of Madrid, some small areas of P.pinea and P.halepensis, the two latter widely spaced apparently in the interest of grazing. Small plantings of Eucalyptus were seen, managed as high forest or coppice. Elms, poplars and the Oriental plane grow in the few moist places and in the towns, but for the most part the great central plateaux and the mountain ranges of Guadarrama and Nevada are treeless except for olive and almond groves. Citrus, pomegranate and the carob bean are grown along the Mediterranean seaboard; Jacaranda, Bougainvillea and Hibiscus were in full bloom in public and private gardens in the south, where palms also flourish - there is a forest of date palms a thousand or so acres in extent between Murcia and Alicante. The most densely forested region seen was in Catalonia, from around Gerona to the Pyrenees, where cork oak and pine clothe the mountain sides, with a good deal of false acacia at lower levels. Only a single, poor specimen of the Spanish silver fir (A.pinsapo) was observed.
"In general I found Spain a poor and arid country, but arable crops are well cultivated and kept remarkably clean. Not a single rabbit was seen throughout the tour,"
Hearing from Sir William reminds us that an honour was recently bestowed on Lady Taylor, who has received an M.B.E. in recognition of 20 years' work for the Victoria League.
As Others See Our Work - Report From The Third Form
Here is a report on Tair Onen Nursery, South Wales, which is probably the biggest forest tree nursery in Britain. It is written by a Third-form schoolgirl, who was one of a party which recently visited the nursery.
"Tair Onen Nursery was opened about 15 years ago. It is a Government nursery for growing trees until they are old enough to go out into the forests on the Welsh mountains.
"The nursery is situated on the north side of the road A48 and between Cowbridge and Cardiff, with mountains to the north and the Bristol Channel to the south. When we reached it, we noticed that all around the nursery were neatly trimmed beech hedges. A very kind forester in charge of the nursery took us round. The first place he showed us was a very warm building where they put cones, which were picked up from the Welsh mountains, into a drum where the seeds dropped out. They were later put into nicely raked seed beds. We also noticed that in between the beds there were deep trenches which took away the frost and water, and there were covers over some beds which protected them from the sun in summer and the wind and frost in winter. The young plants thus had plenty of protection, for the hedges also protected them.
"As we walked round, our guide told us that the trees were later planted out in thousands and that the 'one-plus-ones' were also heeled in in their thousands, when they went to their homes in the forest for the rest of their lives. The names of the trees grown are Douglas Fir, Lawson Cypress, Spruce, Oak, Scots Pine and Japanese Larch. The forester also told us that trees with their small branches tipped with brown had to be separated from other trees as they had an infectious disease caused by their enemies, such as disease germs and all kinds of beetles. The forester said they were trying experiments to get rid of these diseases.
"Further on we saw lorries coming from every part of Wales. They were coming to take the trees to be planted out on the cold and bleak mountains, and it seemed sad to think of them leaving the nursery where they had been well looked after for so long. There they will be - some may die in the wind, and some may get caught in a terrible forest fire, but others will be lucky and will be used for different things such as paper and wood.
"The forester also told us that they were working for something they would never see, that is the full grown trees which will develop from these delicate little plants."
Spirit of Adventure Still Lives
Leslie Kemp, a Clerical Officer employed in the Establishment Section at Headquarters since he transferred to the Commission from the Tate Gallery in January 1950, has resigned. He is to seek a job in Canada and when that, and accommodation, is found, he intends to send for his wife and two children. We wish him well.
The Biggest Employee? - Inverliever Giant
In the May issue of The Slasher we gave details of the physique of a District Officer in South Wales, and asked if he is our biggest employee. His height was given as 6ft.4½ ins., but he holds no record where this is concerned, for Forest Worker B.T. Crowe, of Inverliever Forest, West Scotland, is seven feet tall. Any advance on this?
Incidentally, the West Scotland Conservancy claims the oldest employee. Forest Worker Archie Menzies, of Loch Ard Forest, is in his 84th year and can still do a full day's work. He joined the Forestry Commission in 1929 at the age of 62. Truly, as Emerson says, "In the woods is perpetual youth."
Perhaps some other forest has an even older worker on its staff? Meanwhile, until we receive further claims, Mr Menzies holds the record.
The Persistent Robins: Chapter Two
Last month we wrote of the robins who built a nest in a tractor at Slebech Forest, South Wales, despite the fact that the machine was at work in the forest all day long.
Not surprisingly, however, no eggs were laid. But the birds, not to be thwarted in their endeavour to be associated with the tractor, built another nest in the roof of the shelter which houses the machine, and soon afterwards were in process of rearing a family.
A Love Story of the Trees - Can You Solve This One?
Try your skill at this one. The object is to rearrange the jumbled letters of the unusual words, so that they form the names of trees or flowers, etc. Remember, however, that we have allowed ourselves a little licence and that some of the jumbled words may possibly represent two words in the solution; furthermore, you may have to use some words phonetically, and the puzzle is of American origin.
The young lady of whom I write was very cusper. She was a hecap and a lump good one. Her pitlus were the colour of a rehrcy. Her wwaapp was an old pberpaalc and her mother was far from lappor. The daughter would have had to epni for beaux if she had not been able to carry off the lamp in deception, for she was guarded as the pelpa of their eye.
In love affairs, however, it was panel to see that she was a rhotn in their sides. She did not care a gif for their advice. Whenever she drace chance she would arrange a atde for meeting a favoured young man and leave the arep of elderly Schnettus alone.
Down at the behec she let spycres her hand until wye could easily see which way things were tending. When he asked her father for her, the answer was "Lunwat if I know it!", and furthermore, the young man was advised to soremacy remote region. Nothing but a gowodod stand such treatment, so the young people eloped and protests were of no avail. That made her parents mabsal like the pignewe ilwowl.
Leaving
Farewell to Glentress Forester Training School Instructor Mr J.H. Mackay, who is leaving to take up an appointment on one of the Duke of Roxburgh's estates. He joined the Commission 20 years ago and has been an Instructor at the Glentress School since it was opened.
Glentress
Glentress students and staff played host to the Edinburgh Office staff of Director, Scotland. The programme included a cricket match in which the visitors, batting first, scored 118 and then proceeded to dismiss the first three Glentress batsmen for 15. Then came a fine fourth wicket stand by J. Christie and B.A.N. Kelly, who took the score to 124. Thus the School were winners by 7 wickets. Other games were also played.
The Sewin
Our description in the May issue of The Slasher of the Sewin has resulted in our being taken to task by certain readers who must be very keen fishermen. Divisional Officer W.A. Cadman, North Wales, writes to say that Sewin are small "sea trout" which generally weigh about half a pound apiece. They are not "bull trout" (as we stated); this term is usually given to abnormally large brown trout which have spent some of their lives in tidal waters. It is sometimes applied to cannibal trout. Sewin are the same as the Devonshire Peel and the Blackheads of the Tweed.
Forester D.M. Morgan, of Brechfa, South Wales, has taken the trouble to approach the Fishery Officer for South West Wales for a description, and also sends us photographs. "It will be seen", he writes, "that the Sewin is a sea, or migratory trout, which frequents some Welsh rivers. It is not an ordinary bull trout. Sewin come up the Cothi and Towy rivers in very large numbers from April onwards, the larger fish of 12-14 lbs. arriving during April to May and the smaller (which are to be seen in large shoals) from June to September.
"A fresh run Sewin, three to four pounds in weight, will always give a thrilling fight when hooked, and when cooked it is superior to salmon."
Transfers
A.A. Rowan, District Officer, Hexham, NE(E), transferred to Rothbury, NE(E):
J.P. Newton, District Officer, Launceston, SW(E), transferred to Exeter, SW(E);
W.S. Fergusson, Mabie, S(S), transferred to Dalbeattie, S(S);
A. Mckenzie, Forester, Achnashellach, N(S), transferred to Ceannacroc, N(S);
W.L. McCavish, Forester, Kielder, NE(E), transferred to Redesdale, NE(E);
P.J. Garrow, Forester, Montreathmont, E(S), transferred to Edensmuir, E(S);
P.J. Offord, Alton, SE(E), transferred to Andover, SE(E);
R. Main-Ellen, Forester, Allean, E(S), transferred to Blairadam, E(S);
S.J. Law, Forester, Andover, transferred to Shere, SE(E);
J.F. Scott, Forester, Redesdale, NE(E), transferred to Slaley, NE(E);
J. Mackay, Forester, South Strome, N(S), transferred to Achnashellach, N(S);
J.K. Reid, Forester, Glen Errochty, E(S), transferred to Keillour, E(S);
R.W. Twallin, Forester, Halwill, SW(E), transferred to Alton;
A. Young, Forester, Research, Dalmuir, transferred to Glen Duror, W(S);
J. Thomson, Forester, Glen Trool, S(S), transferred to Penninghame, S(S);
D.H. Walsh, Forester, Thornthwaite, NW(E), transferred to Shifnal, NW(E);
D.W. Keens, Forester, Cograve, NW(E), transferred to Dalton, NW(E);
A. Jones, Foreman, Lake Vyrnwy, N(W), transferred to Dovey Corris, N(W);
P.P. Davis, Foreman, Clipstone, NW(E), transferred to Cotgrave, NW(E);
D.A. Moffatt, Clerk Of Works, Benmore, W(S), transferred to Perth, E(S);
E.R. Lewis, Senior Executive Officer, D(E) transferred to H.Q.;
G.F. Taylor, Bristol, transferred to H.Q.;
K.E. Pruce, Executive Officer, H.Q., transferred to Aberystwyth;
J. Cheyne, Clerical Officer, H.Q., transferred to Aberdeen;
J.G. Armstrong, Clerical Officer, Woking, transferred to Dumfries;
A. Oswald, H.Q., transferred to Glasgow.
A presentation was made to Mr R. Coote, Chief Clerk in the New Forest, when he left for the staff of Director, England. His successor is Mr W.G. Watson.
When Forester J.F. Scott was transferred from Redesdale to Slaley, North East England, after 17 years, the staff at Redesdale held a social and dance in his, and Mrs Scott’s, honour.
A presentation was made at Bristol, to Mr G.F. Taylor, Chief Clerk at the Bristol Office, on his transfer to Headquarters, Establishment Section, on promotion.
Honour
Mr O.J. Sangar, M.C., Director of Forestry for England, who been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Mr Sangar has given outstanding service to forestry in this country and abroad, and has served the Department for a considerable number of years. As Director of Forestry for England, he is in charge of a forest estate of about 500,000 acres, almost 300,000 acres of which are under plantations and comprise 140 forests.
For the past two years, Mr Sangar has been Chairman of the annual meetings of the F.A.O. European Commission on Forestry and Forest Products.
Appointments
J.H.T. James, District Officer, NE(E);
S.W. Dovauo, Foreman, SE(E);
J. Cooper, Foreman, SE(E);
J.C. Thomson, Assistant Engineer, NE(E);
Miss M.J. Atkinson, Executive Officer, NW(E);
W.K. Heggie, Clerical Officer, N(S);
W. Innes, Clerical Officer, N(S);
W. Wright, Clerical Officer, SE(E);
A.L. Fagg, Clerical Officer, H.Q.;
J. Hendrick, Clerical Officer, H.Q.;
W. E. Pearson, Clerical Officer, SE(E);
Miss I. Bryce, Clerical Officer, HQ.
K.W. Winter, E.O., N(W) and N. Harrison, C.O., HQ., were called to H.M.F. before taking up duty.
Retired
Mr W.J. Rimer, Bristol, South West England Conservancy, has retired after serving with the Commission for 10 years.