THE FARM HOLDING. 133 



There is nothing more troublesome after the trees have been felled, all 

 their limbs, branches and leaves burnt, and grass is beginning to appear, than 

 the wilderness of blackened and half-burnt logs that is to be seen in almost 

 any section of This State. Frequently there is no light wood available, 

 without endless carting, to burn off these blackened tree trunks, and such a 

 proposition would be ruinous. But gelignite does just the very thing 

 that is needful for dealing with such logs ; it makes kindlings, and in 

 making cords and cords of kindlings it converts huge sections of those 

 troublesome logs into the very condition that is essential, if rapid and 

 effective burning off is to be accomplished. 



Ordinary ringbarking is the method usually adopted for the killing of 

 timber preparatory to clearing, and if thoroughly done at the right season 

 it is effective; but it is very slow, often taking well over twelve months to 

 bring about the desired result. A better method is frilling and poisoning, 

 see page 148) as this kills in a few weeks, and often in a few days. Even 

 with this method some trees will be more resistant and will sucker, 

 no matter how carefully they may be treated; but," generally speaking, 

 the treatment is highly effective, enabling the dead timber to be handled well 

 within twelve months, and affording the owner the additional advantages 

 of an extra season and a sweetened soil, due to the timber having been 

 allowed to die in the ground instead of having been cleared off green. 



Necessary Tools. 



The tools necessary are: — Earth auger, bulb bar, wood augers (two), 

 chisel bar, tamping stick, crimping pliers, electric firing battery, galvano- 

 meter, firing cable, No. 6 detonator (ordinary), No. 6 detonators (electric 

 or E.D. fuses), and the explosives. 



Earth auger . — This is made from an ordinary H-inch Mathieson wood 

 auger, the centre screw lead being cut out and the auger end fishtailed 

 to the depth of about i inch, and new cutting edges then filed on the proper 

 sides of both wings ; the handle or shank is lengthened to suit, but 4| feet 

 is a convenient length, as holes 4 feet deep are ample for practically all 

 tap roots. 



Bulb bar. — This tool was designed to expedite the placing of holes round 

 and under trees and stumps, and as will be seen from the accompanying 

 illustration it is unnecessary to remove the core of earth, as has to be 

 done when using the earth auger. The bar is 5 feet long, of |-inch 

 octagonal steel, one end being thickened up to 1| inches diameter, and 

 drawn out to a fine point. 3 inches long < n the lead end ; behind the 

 thickened section the bar is gradually tapered back to the diameter of the 

 bar (| inch) for, perhaps, a couple of inches. The top end is headed for 

 driving-in purposes. When this bar is in use, it is driven home preferably 

 with a wooden maul, as a steel sledge knocks the steel bar head about too 

 much. When it is about 8 inches in, water is poured into the hole made, 

 and the driving is continued until the hole is of the desired depth. This 

 makes a circular hole of H inches, and when the bar has to be withdrawn 

 there is only the friction of the bulb section to contend with, as the bar 

 shank is so much smaller in diameter; besides, the water poured in during 

 the driving operation follows the bulb down, lubricating the sides of the 

 hole, and making the job of withdrawing the bar comparatively easy. It 

 may happen that in driving this bar down, a root may be gone over or under, 



