Slasher Magazine Summary: Publication No. 54 – June 1952
The Queen's Birthday Honours
Mr A.P. Long, Director of Forestry for Wales, has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in The Queen's Birthday Honours. He has been with the Forestry Commission since its inception, serving as Divisional Officer in various parts of the country and as Deputy Surveyor, Dean. During the last war he was Acting Assistant Commissioner for England and Wales. He has been Director for Wales for the past six years and is in charge of over 200,000 acres of Commission land, of which about 125,000 acres are under plantations.
Mr F.C. Handford, Chief Clerk in the Office of Director, Scotland for ten years, has been awarded an O.B.E. He has been with the Commission for 32 years.
Mr Victor Bates, who joined the Commission six years ago as Controller of Finance, has been awarded an O.B.E. Regrettably, owing to continued ill-health, he will be unable to resume his duties with the Commission.
Mr Frederick John Neemes, formerly Head Forester at Bedgebury, South East England, who retired in January last, has received the B.E.M. He commenced employment with the Office of Woods in 1901 and was transferred to the Commission at Bedgebury in 1924.
The Annual Report - Year's Planting a Record
Details in the Forestry Commissioners’ Annual Report records a great deal of progress in the Forest Year ending 30th September 1951. The area planted was 57,164 acres (England 17,491 acres; Scotland 26,960 acres; Wales 12,713 acres). This compares with 53,737 acres planted in the previous year, and in forming the new woodlands more than 95 million young trees were used. The number of new forests formed in the year was 32 (15 in England, 13 in Scotland and 4 in Wales), bringing the total number of State forests in the whole country to 413.
Of the plantable land acquired in the year (56,000 acres), 54 per cent had formerly carried a tree crop. The year's acquisitions brought the total area of land acquired through the Forestry Fund and under the Transfer of Woods Act to 1,781,500 acres, including 1,074,200 acres classed as forest land. Of the latter, 737,000 acres were, at the close of the Forest Year, under plantations of varying ages.
In the first five years of the post war forest programme, which closed on 30th September last, the Commission planted 217,600 acres and private owners 62,900 acres, the combined planting efforts being 280,500 acres, or only 77 per cent of the full five year programme. Where our planting was concerned there were two main reasons for the gap between programme and achievement - inability to obtain sufficient plantable land in the right places and, in the more remote areas, lack of labour. The Report says "The current reserves (of plantable land) have reached a disquietingly low level".
The delay in securing the general acceptance of the Dedication Scheme was one of the factors which restricted the amount of private planting during the five years. Other causes, including rising costs, shortage of plants and labour and in 1951, the bad weather of the planting season, also contributed.
During the five years a total area of 138,000 acres of our plantations was thinned and it is estimated that over the same period 38 million cubic feet of poles and timber (roughly a million tons) were extracted from the woodlands. In order to extract this large volume of produce, it was necessary to construct many new roads capable of carrying wheeled transport, and the total length of roads built for this purpose was 1,105 miles.
Kielder's Big Day - Forest Village Opened
Residents of Kielder Forest Village witnessed Commission Chairman, Lord Robinson, formally declare this new village open. Today Kielder Forest Village, one of five villages planned for erection to house the growing labour force of Kielder Forest, in Northumberland, consists of a handful of houses erected some years ago, and 20 new houses, of which four are occupied and the remainder nearing completion. A start has been made in the vicinity on the foundations of a further 40 houses and, when building is eventually completed, the village will, it is hoped, comprise 250 houses with a population of 800-1,000.
For Lord Robinson, the event symbolised the final phases of a dream come true, for 42 years ago, long before the Forestry Commission came into being, he looked at this remote part of Northumberland which is now the site of Kielder and its neighbouring forests, and considered the possibilities of planting the vast area of uncultivated land along the Borders. Then, in 1926, he saw the first planting at Smales Farm, Kielder, and 22 years later he himself felled the first tree in this same unit. And so to 27th May, 1952, when Lord Robinson opened, with a golden key, one of the new houses.
It was a memorable occasion for George Rome, for as he shook hands with Lord Robinson, he recalled that he was the last remaining workman of the original gang which started operations at Smales a quarter of a century or so ago.
Lord Robinson, who was accompanied by other Commissioners, was introduced by Viscount Allendale, Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland. Lord Radnor, who is Chairman of the Forestry Commission's National Committee for England, presided and among others supporting him were Mr R.M. Spier, M.P. for Hexham, and Alderman N. Garrow, Chairman of the Northumberland County Council.
Tributes were paid to Sir William Taylor, Director General of the Forestry Commission until 1948, who acquired for the Commissioners the land on which Kielder Forest, the biggest State forest unit in Britain, has been formed; to Mr A.D. Hopkinson, formerly Conservator, East England, who for many years had general supervision of the work; to Head Forester J.T. Anderson, who went to Kielder when the forest was started and was transferred to East Anglia in 1950; and to Dr Thomas Sharp, the eminent planner, who has acted as consultant in the lay-out of Kielder Forest Village and the other villages-to-be in the district.
A large party of guests was welcomed by Mr O.J. Sangar, Director of Forestry for England, and conducted on a coach tour of the forest by Mr C.A. Connell, Conservator, North East England.
An extract from Sir Walter Scott's Journal, quoted during the ceremony by Lord Robinson, to the amusement of his audience, the date is 7th October, 1827, when Scott was staying with the Duke of Northumberland at Alnwick: "The Duke tells me his people in Keeldar were all quite wild the first time his father went up to shoot there. The women had no other dress than a bedgown and petticoat. The men were savage and could hardly be brought to rise from the heath, either from sullenness or fear. They sung a wild tune, the burden of which was Ourina, ourina, ourina. The females sung, the men danced round, and at a certain part of the tune they drew their dirks, which they always wore."
Trees in a Crater - And a Plea for Metal Telegraph Poles
Following last month's article on Llantrisant Forest, South Wales, Mr F. Cownie, Conservator in the Office of Director, Wales, writes: "You are correct in your assumption that the Abies grandis you mention is growing in a crater caused by a landmine. We took advantage of the deep cultivation, with good results. Another sizeable explosive fell elsewhere in Llantrisant and disrupted the water pipeline to two Forest Workers Holdings, and the cottages received a bad shaking.
"Generally, the South Wales forests suffered very little bomb damage with the exception of the Penllergaer beat of Rheola Forest, where damage by fire was severe, following the dropping of incendiary bombs. A little damage was done at Llanover."
After the article on metal telegraph poles in Rheola Forest, Education Officer T.A. Robbie, Glentress Forester Training School, says "I only wish we had the good fortune to have some cheap type of metal poles in all forests. Experience of the fire at Glenhurich Forest, in North Scotland, in May, 1942, illustrates the point. The G.P.O. lines passed through the forest from Strontian to a kiosk beside the Forester's house. During the fire the telegraph poles were burnt and fell. This meant a very strenuous hike of six miles each way for a member of the women's forestry service in order to contact Divisional and District Officers by telephone. The track was impassable to cars, and a motorcyclist despatch rider had to be sent to the forest to maintain contact."
Suggestions for the Origin of the Name Rheola
Suggestions have been made as to the origin of the name Rheola:-
In 1295 it appeared as "HYROLLE" and apparently, this word survived in books as "HIR-OLE" until about 100 years ago. "Hir" would mean "long" and "ole" would mean "light", thus suggesting a place in the sun with a long duration of light.
In 1717, Howel Bevan referred to Rheola as "Rhiw olau". "Rhiw" would mean "hill" or "slope", therefore "A slope or hill in the light".
Another, and probably more likely explanation, is that the name is derived, naturally, from "Yr-heol-olau" - "The light way".
Those Nesting Boxes
Following last month's article on Forester Ingram's nesting boxes in Ampthill Forest, East England, District Officer Stanley Forrester, North East England, says "The boxes at Arkengarthdale, in the North East Conservancy have been more orthodox in construction, but have housed some species which Forester Ingram does not mention as occurring at Ampthill, namely redstarts and occasionally pied flycatchers. On one occasion a family of long eared bats took up residence in a nesting box."
It Pays to Advertise
A notice in the street level office window offering employment was of considerable benefit in the recruitment of labour. When the notice was removed, the number of enquirers dropped from at least six per day to nil. This was an extract from the monthly newsletter of the New Zealand Forest Service and it has a moral. Do the street level windows of our offices contain posters declaiming opportunities for young men to go to a Forester Training School? Better the window, it seems, than the notice board; or, better still, why not both?
Staff Suggestions Scheme - Award for Year's Best Idea
A special additional award will be made for the year's best suggestion submitted under the official scheme, to save time, money or materials, or contribute to the general efficiency of the Department.
Tree Bashing" At Tintern
When, not long ago, we were in the vicinity of Tintern Forest, South Wales, we heard tell of the quaint old "sport" known as tree bashing. Head Forester C.V. Squires sent the following note. "I first heard about tree bashing during thinning operations in Bargain's and Creigiau woods, when I was asked if I knew what caused the curious blemishes we saw on some of the poles. It seems it was the custom, perhaps in the late 1800s, for lads to give chase whenever they saw a squirrel. When the squirrel was driven to the top of one of the trees it was the practice to find a large rock and then, from a distance, throw it at the stem to cause a shudder and so dislodge the squirrel."
Newcomers
Executive Officer K.W. Carter to SE(E);
Clerical Officer Miss E.M. Tebbitt to H.Q.;
Clerical Officer Miss J.M. Warhurst to NW(E).
Transfers
District Officer T.D. Cotter-Craig from Beauly, N(S) to Dingwall, N(S);
District Officer A.W.L. Guile from Bristol, SW(E) to Princes Risborough, E(E);
District Officer G.G. Stewart from Langholm, S(S) to Galashiels, S(S);
District Officer R.d'O.P. Jackson from Perth, E(S) to Dunkeld, E(S);
District Officer P.A. Innes from Kilmun, Argyll, W(S) to Benmore, W(S);
District Officer E.J.B. Hardcastle from Hawick, S(S) to Ancrum, S(S).
Forester E.W. Marsh from Langdale, NE(E) to Selby, NE(E);
Forester G. Stokoe from Kielder, NE(E) to Allerston, NE(E);
Forester J.R. Henderson from New Forest to Abinger, SE(E);
Forester F.A. Woodcock from Pundershaw, NE(E) to Coquetdale, NE(E);
Foreman C. Hockaday from Glynn, SW(E) to St. Clement, SW(E);
Foreman D.W. Axtell from Kinver, NW(E) to Walcot, NW(E);
Foreman A. McCleary from Ae, S(S) to Bennan, S(S);
Foreman C.T. Stuart from Speymouth, E(S) to Aberdeen, E(S);
Foreman E. McLeod from Methwold, E(E) to Gaywood, E(E);
Foreman J.B. Stirrat from Wauchope, S(S) to New Forest;
Foreman R.D. Wishart from Research, Newton to Research, Kielder;
Assistant Engineer H.G. Beattie from Fort William, N(S) to Dumfries, S(S);
Assistant Engineer J.D. Bowie from Dumfries to Fort William, N(S);
Clerical Officer W.E. Reynolds from D(E) to H.Q.
Retired
Head Keeper Tom Cutter was presented with a chiming clock during a ceremony at the Queen's House, New Forest, to mark his retirement after 46 years with the Commission and practically no absences for illness. Tom Cutler's father and grandfather were both Keepers in the New Forest, and his son has recently been appointed Under-Keeper.
Obituary
Forester H.W. Paulley, Dunwich Forest, East England Conservancy, has died at the early age of 46. "Few who knew Forester Paulley had any doubts as to where his heart lay", writes a correspondent. "Coming from a well wooded part of the South West, his whole life and thoughts were in the woods and forests which he tended for the Department. For 23 years he served the Forestry Commission with an exemplary faithfulness and, during the war, was one of the small band of stalwarts who kept forestry going at Thetford. Despite his serious illness of the last year or so, he maintained a close interest in all that was going on at Dunwich, and his passing is a great loss to us, as well as to his wife and daughter."