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Forester Peter Jensen, of Great Barrington based Open Space Management, was the main presenter of the program. Peter has been managing The Bidwell House woodlands for several years now, installing hiking trails and overseeing the selective logging of the museum’s 190 acres. The afternoon began with an explanation of the wide array of antique tools used for timber harvesting from 18th century broad axes to large, toothy cross cut saws. Until late in the 19th century, most large farms managed a woodlot for firewood, building supplies and fences. Coming from a history of deforested European landscape, early colonists felled trees with no concern of management for future generations. The size of these woodlots varied in size from farm to farm. By about the 1850's a fifteen acre lot was considered enough to keep fires in two stoves for both cooking and heating. Prior to the use of wood burning stoves, larger lots were needed to feed hearths. The development of the 19th century charcoal industry and the forest trade of maple sugar production also required an enormous amount of timber. |
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| But , of course, the proof is in the pudding, so the program moved on to take down two ‘standing dead’ trees, a large white birch and an ash. Peter aided by his son Erik, demonstrated felling techniques first by taking down the birch with a broad ax as an 18th century method, then with an ax and cross cut saw demonstrating 19th century methods. |  |
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Then Gulliver, the draft horse, made his first public appearance. Worked by Tom Weldon, Gulliver demonstrated the use of draft horses to ‘snake’ felled trees out of the woods to loading areas. | ||
| Noah Wixom was standing by with his team of Line Back oxen (seen here at the Big E competition). With the aid of this team, the logs were loaded onto the logging sled and hauled away. |  |
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