THE EMIGRANT'S HAND-BOOK. 17 



The average price of clearing land in the places named, 

 may be set down at about ten dollars the acre, including 

 the common Virginia fence, which is a very good fence 

 for a new country. Persons can always be found who 

 will contract at this price. 



The next thing to be done, is to build some sort of a 

 dwelling. The log shanty is usually the first a settler 

 builds. It is an exceedingly comfortable dwelling, cool 

 in summer and warm in winter ; and if whitewashed 

 every year, and clambering vines made to run over it, it 

 is a very pretty one. It is speedily built, and if neces- 

 sary, the settler can build it all himself. In another por- 

 tion of this book, full instructions will be found, on the 

 manner of building shanties, log-houses, farm- cottages, 

 barns, fences, and the like. By turning to the table of 

 contents, the reader will find where to look for the in- 

 formation. 



Having got up a shanty or a log-house, the next step 

 will be that of clearing. The emigrant will now be 

 disheartened, perhaps. It will seem a long and dreary 

 work to lay the giant forest low, and make of the wild 

 land, fruitful fields. But as he proceeds, he will find it 

 less difficult than he had supposed. After the lapse of 

 two or three years, order will begin to reign, and he will 

 be more than satisfied. 



In CLEARING, the first thing is to lay out in as regular 

 a shape as possible, the land designed to be cleared the 

 first season. A portion of this, say one or two acres, 

 should now be underbrushed, that is, the small growth of 

 wood and bushes all cut up. If there are any old logs 

 or trees lying on the piece to be cleared, cut them up in- 

 to fifteen-feet lengths. Having thus made clean work of 

 the underwood, go to work, and cut down all the trees, 

 clean as you go, with the exception of the rail-timber 

 which may be growing on it, such as black and white. 



