THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 283 



as easy, and far better for many reasons, to cut trees low than to 

 cut them high. Let a chopper keep the hand that holds the hilt of 

 the axehelve well down, (the length of the arm,) and bend his back 

 a little it will not injure him and he will soon get accustomed 

 to cutting trees low and square across. In order to save timber, 

 the kerf should be more straight inward than it is in chopping off 

 a log. It will require a little more time and strength to cut down 

 a tree with a short chip ; but, where timber is valuable, the 

 amount saved by a short kerf more than compensates for the 

 extra time in cutting down. When one is cutting down a large 

 tree, and there is any apprehensions of its splitting at the butt, 

 and the tree is cut off within eight or ten inches, the heart of the 

 tree should all be cut off first, letting it stand as long as it will 

 on a portion of the sap part of the tree. 



384. My practice, in cutting down a valuable tree, is, to set 

 two long braces against it, one on each side, in the direction 

 where we intend to fell it, and brace it firmly until the tree can 

 be cut entirely off. Then knock away one of the braces, and the 

 tree may be made to go whichever way we choose to have it. 



385. When trees lean, they should never be cut to fall in the 

 direction they lean, because they will surely split or damage in 

 some way. 



386. Suppose, for instance, a tree stands near a precipice, and 

 leans a little towards it, it may be made to fall in any direction 

 we desire, by attaching a rope and tackles to it and fastening to 

 another tree, or to a post set firmly in the ground, and then hitch 

 ing a team to the slack rope, when the tree is nearly ready to 

 fall. When a valuable tree is to be cut, when standing on an 

 eminence, never allow it to fall down hill, but always up hill, or 

 along the slope. 



SAWING DOWN TREES. 



387. Sometimes trees may be sawed down to good advan 

 tage. Before using a saw, however, for sawing down a tree, 

 a kerf a few inches deep should be cut with the axe, so as to 



