JUNE 217 



sent ; the felled ones are cut in lengths, and piled with the 

 limbs on the brush heaps. All these have been cut quite 

 close to the ground, so that the stumps may offer no obstruc- 

 tion to the harrow : all being piled, nothing remains but to 

 fell the large trees, which is done at about two feet from the 

 ground, the stumps being permitted to remain till the gra- 

 dual decomposition of the roots allows of their extraction : 

 a work of years. The trunks of the trees are now chopped 

 into lengths, those which are useful for fencing placed by 

 themselves to be removed, and the remainder, by the efforts 

 of oxen with chains, and men with levers, are piled one 

 upon another, and the tops thrown into heaps as before. 

 In this state everything remains during the summer, exposed 

 to the burning sun of July, August, and September, which 

 dries up a good deal of the moisture, and makes the heaps 

 fit to burn. In the fall, advantage is taken of a dry time 

 to put fire to the logs and brush, which burn rapidly, 

 and are usually consumed, with the exception of some rem- 

 nants of the log heaps, which are piled together for a final 

 burning. The running of the fires over the ground kills 

 every vegetable, and the fertilizing ashes make the whole 

 in good order for culture. The plough is not put into the 

 ground for some years, until the small stumps and roots 

 have decayed : it is merely harrowed over, the virgin earth 

 being soft and mellow, and grain is sowed with grass seed. 

 After the first crop, it remains in grass for several years. 

 Such is the ordinary practice, slightly varying, according to 

 circumstances. 



C. — Are no young trees ever left for ornament ? 



F, — • Were it possible to do so, they would be anything 

 but ornamental; for a young forest-tree is nothing more 

 than a very tall hop-pole with a few leaves at the top : but 

 the fires would be sure to kill them, if such were spared by 

 the axe and hook. Ornamental trees must, in general, be 



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