[f. BARK v.2 + -ING1.]

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  1.  Steeping in an infusion of bark; tanning.

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c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 25. Barkynge of lethyr, frunicio.

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1865.  Intell. Observ., No. 38. 107. [The] Barking the nets of the fishermen.

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  2.  The action of stripping off bark from trees; the cutting away of a ring of bark, so as to kill the tree, otherwise called ring-barking. Barking-irons: tools used for this purpose.

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1545.  Act 37 Hen. VIII., vi. § 1. Barking of Apple-trees.

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1773.  Barnard, in Phil. Trans., LXIII. 218. Directing the falling and barking of a large quantity of timber.

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1878.  P. Bayne, Purit. Rev., iii. 71. In order to blight and kill a whole forest … it is not necessary to fell every tree, but only … to perform the operation of barking.

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1884.  Australasian, 8 Nov., 875/1. In ring-barking a belt of bark about a foot in width is taken off the tree.

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