Slasher Magazine Summary: Publication No. 51 - March 1952
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.
Congratulations to Silviculturist
Mr R.F. Wood, Silviculturist, (S), in the Directorate of Research and Education, has been awarded a Fellowship for one year on the Nuffield Foundation. Mr Wood proposes to visit Canada, to study in their native habitat, a number of the coniferous species which are now extensively used in British forestry.
Calling Readers in East Anglia - Have You Seen a Pudding Stone?
The East Anglian Magazine records that Dr E.A. Rudge, Principal of West Ham Municipal College, has found evidence of the existence in pre-historic times of a trackway 200 miles long, running from the Wash through East Anglia into Berkshire.
The evidence consists of large "pudding stones" - flint and pebbles set in sandstone - which marked the course of the trackway. To date, 125 of these stones have been discovered. A number of pudding stones have been found in or near churches. Some would have marked the crossing of a ford, while others were on hilltops, and without doubt many hundreds of such stones were originally set beside the track.
The track is thought to have run from Heacham, on the Wash, through Gayton, Grimes Graves, Thetford, St. Livermere, Thurston and Kersey, and then to have swept north of Chelmsford and on through Cheshunt, St. Albans and Chesham to Pangbourne, near Reading. This pre-historic thoroughfare passed close to what is now our forest of Thetford.
It is believed that the track was in use nearly 5,000 years ago and was almost certainly a trading route along which the precious flint (from the prehistoric mines at Grimes Graves) was carried to the settlements of the Stone Age people centred around the site now occupied by the Buckinghamshire town of Chesham.
Distribution of State Forests
Few counties lack at least one State forest. New units established in the Forest Year 1951 brought three more counties, Leicester, Warwick and Bute, into the picture. The only counties lacking forests when this check was made were: - In Scotland: Renfrew, West Lothian, Midlothian and Lanark. In England: Cambridge, Huntingdon, Middlesex and London.
The total number of counties with forests at 30th September 1951 was 76, made up of England 36, Scotland 27, and every one of the 13 counties in Wales.
Drama in the Woods
Wiltshire police sought the assistance of Forester H.C. Dyer and his forest workers in the search of the woods for a man they wished to interview in connection with the murder of an elderly local woman.
Police and staff formed a ring round the forest while 500 troops equipped with "walkie-talkie" apparatus combed the entire area. A man was later found dead in a wood near to where the murdered woman lived.
Question
Divisional Officer A.R. Crawford of North Scotland poses the question "Why is it that the leaves of the White Poplar, or Abele, always lie on the ground with the underside of the leaf uppermost? This is invariably the case, even in a gale".
Our Industrious Foresters
At the Skye Society's show, Forester C. MacDonald, of Glenbrittle, North Scotland, won the cup for obtaining the highest number of points, and he is also the winner of the medal presented by a well known horticultural journal for the best effort by an amateur gardener.
Forester A. MacLeman of South Strome, North Scotland belongs to the Garve Work Society, members of which specialise in the making of handicrafts from deer skin and deer horn. The Society exhibits at the Royal Highland Show, where it has been patronised by members of the Royal Family, and on one occasion the Queen Mother accepted a leather purse from Forester MacLeman.
Snow, Snow, Snow and a Heavy Rainfall
Hafren Forest, which lies on the eastern slopes of Plynlimmon, six miles west of Llanidloes, in Montgomeryshire, is noted for its heavy snowfalls of long duration and for its high rainfall. During the winter of 1950-51 the first snowfall occurred in November and the last of the snow did not disappear until 6th June. The upper slopes of the forest were under snow for four months. Head Forester J.T. Jones says "This year we have had snow from 17th January. During 1950 we had only 135 days without rain, and last year we had only 146 rainless days, which means that there were relatively fewer days than we would have liked for forest operations."
First the Road: Now the Library - Another Development at Plashetts
Plashetts is a North Tyne village in which live workers employed in Kielder Forest, the biggest State forest area in the country. Before the road was built, the only way to reach Plashetts was by rail.
Clerk of Works T. Bassey asks whether the road he has constructed in Kielder Forest is the longest made to date by the Commission's Engineering Branch. The road runs from Waterhead to Plashetts and is nine miles in length.
Another development in Plashetts is that Forester G.W. Parker has formed a separate branch of the Northumberland County Library for the benefit of residents.
Letter From Mrs Feather?
A light hearted letter received from a lady seeking information, on behalf of her son, about Forestry as a career.
Note for Ornithologists - Appeal From British Trust
Dr Bruce Campbell, Secretary of the British Trust for Ornithology, is conducting an enquiry into the breeding distribution of the Pied Flycatcher in British woodlands in the spring of this year and is requesting sightings.
Presentations
The retirement presentation for Harry Watson with Divisional Officer J. Webster presiding. In attendance were James MacDonald, Director of Research and Education; Mr J.E. James, Conservator, West Scotland; Mr G.D. Rouse, Chief Education Officer; Mr H.V.S. Dier, State Forest Officer; a large party of Forest Officers, Foresters, estate tenants and friends. Mr Macdonald read a personal message from the Chairman Lord Robinson. Mr Brown, factor for Messrs. Bryant and May, of Ballochyle, spoke on behalf of the tenants of Cowal in appreciation of Mr Watson's work. District Officer Roderick MacDonald is taking over as Education Officer at Benmore.
Newcomers
District Officer H.A.E. Tilney-Bassett to Education;
District Officer C.J. Lapage to NW(E);
District Officer N.S. Munro to NW(E);
District Officer T.W.G. Coulson to NW(E);
District Officer J.M. Gwynn to W(S);
District Officer M. Crooke to Research;
District Officer F.G. Davis to S(W);
District Officer N. Banister to SW(E);
District Officer F.D. Barrett to NE(E);
District Officer B.J. Allison to NE(E);
District Officer H.J. Hooper to N(W);
District Officer J.E. Massey to N(S);
District Officer R.A. Pullinger to SE(E);
T/District Officer L. Reynolds to D(R.& E.);
Clerical Officer Miss J. Marshall to Education;
Clerical Officer R.F. Gooch to Research.
Transfers
District Officer J.H. Currie from Neath, S(W) to Cardiff, S(W);
District Officer R.G. Sanzen-Baker from Cardiff, S(W) to Ulverston, NW(E);
District Officer G.A. Dey from Keith, E(S) to Auchenblae, E(S);
District Officer F.J. Donald from Aberdeen, E(S) to Fochabers, E(S);
District Officer E.J.B. Hardcastle from Fort William, N(S) to Hawick, S(S);
Forester W.J. Humphries from Dunster, SW(E) to Nether Stowey, SW(E);
Forester W.E. Dye from Fearnoch, W(S) to Glenduror, W(S);
Forester D.M. Kirk from Laurieston, S(S) to Dreva, S(S);
Forester G.H. MacMillan from Dovey Corris, N(S) to Commins Coch, N(W);
Forester R.D. Anderson from Kershope, NW(E) to Greystoke, NW(E);
Forester F.H. Guthrie from Greystoke NW(E) to Kershope, NW(E);
Forester W.H. Jones from Commins Coch N(W) to Kerry, N(W);
Forester E.C.W. Everitt from Savernake, SW(E) to Stanway, SW(E);
Foreman J.S. Maxtone from Mabie, S(S) to Loch Ard, W(S);
Foreman C.L.S. Harrison from Coed Sarnau, N(W) to Radnor, N(W);
Foreman A.S. Cochrane from Greskine, S(S) to Clauchrie, S(S);
Assistant Engineer D.J. Tickell from H.Q. to D(E).
Engagement
Ex-School Ganger Pat Moore of Alice Holt and Miss Pat Blight, Leading Surveyor have become engaged.
Births
To Forester A. Ross (Private Woodlands), West Scotland and Mrs Ross, the birth of a son.
To Clerk of Works J. Auld, West Scotland and Mrs Auld, the birth of a son.
Retired
Harry Watson, in charge of the Forester Training School at Benmore for 23 years has retired. He served the Forestry Commission for 33 years in all, and in 1949 received an M.B.E. for his work on behalf of the Commission's educational services.
Mr H.S. Hanson, Entomologist at the Forest Research Station since 1941 has retired. Earlier in his career, he was an Inspector of Plantations in the Belgian Congo, Assistant Acquisition Officer with the Timber Supply Department from 1916-1919 in this country, then followed a long period as a Timber valuer and forestry consultant in Devon and Cornwall. He carried out investigations for the former Imperial Institute of Entomology and was subsequently employed by the Institute from 1928 to 1940 as Entomologist.