104 © ~~ ANNUAL REPORT. 
a good stand, some ‘of the poor people were permitt 
grow a row of potatoes or bush-beans between them, f 
‘purpose of keeping the tree rows clean of weeds and tc 
plant the little plants where they had failed. The seco 
year no cultivation is done, except to keep the large wee 
and grass out. On sandy land evergreens are set out, if th 
are vacancies. es ot 
After the second year all is left to nature. No grass, | 
weeds, or dead forest leaves are allowed to be taken off fron 
the new plantations for at least five or six years, when the — 
first thinning is gone through with, and all crooked, deformed | 
and dry trees removed, all in a4 day ortwo. Thisisaboutthe 
only time the forester must have help to oversee, so that none 4 
are cut that will be of other use than firewood. Asit belongs 
to the burghers to do this job, there is generally a large crowd, 
as all turn out that can on this occasion. After a day or two 
no one is allowed to cut or trim.wood or brush for the next 
two or more years. In the older plantations it is allowable to 
get the dry limbs and sticks, and the limbs that grow down- 
wards, or interfere with each other. In this way many peo- 
ple have to obtain their firewood, particularly those that are 
not on the town poor list,as they are not able to purchase it ; 
or if they do buy, do so to have it in cold weather, when the 
women and children cannot go out to gather it. 
I suppose many of you wonder why the Germans from vil- 
lages or small towns carry their loads on their heads, and why 
they gather dry brush around their homes in this country. 
It is because they have been accustomed to it from childhood ; 
and they can make a quick fire and cook a meal of victuals 
while they set the table. 
There are heavy fines and imprisonment imposed for cutting 
down or girdling or removing little trees or dry leaves from 
any of the groves, without permission from the forester or 
trustees, and many a forester has been maimed and sometimes 
killed in attempting to arrest parties trespassing on these 
forests. 
In old evergreen forests the large trees only are removed, 
and if large vacancies occur, burghers have to make ridges 
with grub hoe and spade and remove the surface soil, leaves 
and rubbish into small piles, when evergreen seeds are sown 
broadcast and left alone, as these places are mostly shaded. 
They will nearly all be covered with young plants, and grow 
up again for future generations. 
