130 



THE FARMERS' HANDBOOK. 



The team having been obtained, the selector himself, with what assistance 

 he can arrange for, can perform the necessary shovel, mattock, and axe work 

 in opening up the ground about the trees and stumps. Under fair weather 

 conditions great headway can be made in getting the trees down, and the 

 heavy logs hauled off the clearing, while the tops can be at once disposed of 

 by burning on the spot. The advantage of this system is that the owner of 

 the area can see for himself exactly how the stumps and roots are removed,, 

 and this will repay him tenfold when the area comes to be worked. 



There are several methods of hauling down timber, but the description of 

 two here will suffice to indicate the principles. 



For one used* in clearing the site of Cowra Experiment Farm, the plant 

 consisted of: — 



200 feet of 2-in. circumference wire rope. 

 150 feet of 2J-in. circumference wire rope. 

 Two pieces, 20 feet long, of 3-in. circumference wire rope. 

 Three pulley-blocks, size of sheaves 8 inches x 2 inches, viz., one treble, 

 one double, and one single sheave. 



Fig. 8. — Tree-hauling gear, as used in clearing at Cowra Experiment Farm. 



Mr. Geo. Marks, Manager, Grafton Experiment Farm, thus describes the 

 use of this tackle: — 



One of the short pieces of 3-inch rope, with the single-sheave block hooked on, 

 is placed round the barrel of the tree that is to be pulled down, a ladder being 

 brought into requisition to fasten the rope as high as possible. The 200-feet rope is 

 reefed in pulleys of double and treble sheave blocks. The double block is hooked 

 on to the other short piece of rope, which is then fastened round the butt of a 

 neighbouring stump or tree, on the side on which it is intended to pull the tree. 

 The end of the 150-feet rope is hooked on to the treble block, passed through the 

 single block attached to the tree, and after the slack is taken up, is anchored 

 by winding it round the butt of the stump or tree, where the other block is 

 anchored, or if the stump or tree is small and not likely to stand the strain, to 

 another tree in the line of pull. A pair of stx*oug steady horses is hooked on to- 

 the end of the 200-feet rope, and everything is then ready for the pull. The 

 slack is taken out of the ropes, and, by means of a strong steady pull, the tree 

 will come down. 



