326 On clearing Land. 



The residue of this Essay is a Detail of Experiments, 



Woods are cut down in June, July, August or Sep- 

 tember, and not in the winter, unless they consist of 

 pine or cedar. Because wood is then softest, the leaves 

 drying on the boughs are fuel for the subsequent fire, 

 and the wood will become dry enough for burning by 

 the following fall or spring. 



The labourers cut in pairs, each pair taking a breadth 

 of twenty yai'ds, and working either to right or left, 

 that distance asunder. This, with invariably falling the 

 trees backwards, whenever they will so fall, prevents 

 danger, and mutual interruption. They cut do^vn all 

 trees and bushes, w^orking together on the opposite 

 sides of trees large enough to admit it, for the sake 

 of the emulative or musical invigoration arising from 

 an alternation of strokes. Not a bough is cut from the 

 trunk, or a grul) taken up. A man \vill cut down ten 

 times as much land in this mode, as he can clear in the 

 common way ; topping, cutting up trunks, grubbing^ 

 and collecting and burning brush. 



The woods thus cut down, first lying until they are 

 considerably seasoned, are burnt during the same fall, or 

 the following spring, after the buds appear, during dry 

 w^eather and a brisk wind ; and produce a fire which 

 kills nearly all the small stumps, and most of the large ; 

 and consumes in a few minutes, should the ground be 

 well covered, every thing except large logs ; many of 

 these will burn up, and the few which are left, being sea- 

 soned and roasted, are easily burnt by collecting tliree or 

 fourtogether. If rails, wood, or timber, are wanted from 

 the ground, the bm-ning is deferred to the spring, and 



