TCD MS 11290/31 folio 2 recto
[16 May 1918] inhabitants.
Tell Pa he should get a mallet of apple wood with ash hand[l]e the head to have two steel rings on it to keep it from splitting it is much lighter and sweeter to work with besides it doesn’t damage the wedges and you can use a big wooden wedge when you have started the wood with the iron ones.
It was all beech that I was splitting beautifully straight grown stuff and I had no difficulty in splitting bits 3 foot long even when there were knots. I expect the elm wouldn’t be much harder.
One of our officers has got his leave through and as