On the Trail | Page 9

to
nick or dull the edge.
=How to Fell a Tree=
Content yourself with chopping down only slender trees, mere saplings,
at first, and as you acquire skill, slightly heavier trees can be felled.
Begin in the right way with your very first efforts and follow the
woodsman's method.
Having selected the tree you desire to cut down, determine in which
direction you want it to fall and mark that side, but first make sure that
when falling, the tree will not lodge in another one near by or drop on
one of the camp shelters. See that the way is free of hindrance before
cutting the tree, also clear the way for the swing of your extended
hatchet. If there are obstacles, such as vines, bushes, limbs of other
trees, or rocks, which your hatchet might strike as you raise and lower
it while at work, clear them all away, making a generous open space on
all sides, overhead, on the right and left side, and below the swing of
the hatchet. Take no chance of having an accident, as would occur
should the hatchet become entangled or broken.
You may have noticed that the top surface of most stumps has a
splintered ridge across its centre, and on one side of the ridge the wood
is lower than on the other; this is because of the manner in which a
woodsman fells a tree. If he wants the tree to fall toward the west he
marks the west side of the trunk; then he marks the top and bottom of
the space he intends chopping out for the first kerf or notch (Fig. 13, A
and B), making the length of space a trifle longer than one-half of the
tree diameter. The kerf is chopped out by cutting first from the top A,
then from the bottom B (Fig. 14). When the first kerf is finished and cut
half-way through the tree, space for the kerf on the opposite side of the

tree is marked a few inches higher than the first one (Fig. 15, C and D)
and then it also is cut (Fig. 16).
After you have chopped the two kerfs in a tree, you will know when it
is about to fall by the creaking and the slight movement of its top. Step
to one side of the falling tree, never behind or in front of it; either of the
last two ways would probably mean death: if in front, the tree would
fall on you, and if at the back, you would probably be terribly injured if
not killed, as trees often kick backward with tremendous force as they
go down; so be on your guard, keep cool, and deliberately step to the
side of the tree and watch it fall.
Choose a quiet day, when there is no wind, for tree-felling. You cannot
control the wind, and it may control your tree.
Never allow your hatchet to lie on the ground, a menace to every one at
camp, but have a particular log or stump and always strike the blade in
this wood. Leave your hatchet there, where it will not be injured, can
do no harm, and you will always know where to find it (Fig. 17).
=Etiquette of the Wild=
Translated this means "hands off." The unwritten law of the woods is
that personal property cached in trees, underbrush, beneath stones, or
hidden underground must never be taken, borrowed, used, or molested.
Canoes and oars will often be discovered left by owners, sometimes
fastened at the water's edge, again suspended from trees, and the
temptation to borrow may be strong, but remember such an act would
be dishonorable and against the rules that govern the outdoor world.
Provisions, tools, or other articles found in the forests should be
respected and allowed to remain where they are. It is customary for
campers to cache their belongings with the assurance that forest
etiquette will be held inviolate and their goods remain unmolested.
Every one has the privilege of examining and enjoying the beauties of
mosses, berries, and wild flowers, but do not take these treasures from

their homes to die and be thrown aside. Love them well enough to let
them stay where they are for others also to enjoy, unless you need
specimens for some important special study.
A man who had always lived in the Adirondack forests, and at present
is proprietor of an Adirondack hotel, recently reforested many acres of
his wooded wild lands by planting through the forests little young trees,
some not over one foot high, and his indignation was great when he
discovered that many of his guests when off on tramps returned laden
with these baby trees, which were easily pulled up by the roots because
so lately