Abstract: In order to effect removal of both limbs and bark from wood, such as trimmings or trees removed in thinning, with satisfactory results in a barking drum, the drum proper comprises a cylindrical pretreatment section of large diameter, a tapering transition section and a cylindrical final treatment section of smaller diameter. In the pretreatment section, which has a larger number of log lifters, an intensive treatment of the bundle takes place, so that the stems of the trees are exposed while branches and twigs are crushed. In the transition section, which has only half the number of log lifters, the tumbling motion of the wood subsides and a change-over takes place to parallel barking, which is concluded in the final treatment section, where the number of log lifters is again increased, suitably up to the original number. The pretreatment section is preferably preceded by an infeed section with infeed means arranged on the inside for quick feeding-in of the bundle of trees into the pretreatment section.