150 THE farmers' handbook. 



those up to 10 inches should be felled also, and the larger hardwoods riugbarked 

 deeply, cutting right through the sapwood. In felling care should be taken to 

 get the trees to fall as nearly as possible in the one direction. This gives a more 

 even distribution of the fallen stuff and ensures a more rapid and effective 

 burning. When the brush has been felled it should be left untouched for at least 

 eighteen months. After that period it may be fired, but very great care should 

 be taken in selecting the day to light it. Our greatest success in burning has 

 not been on the hottest days or days when the wind has been strong, but on a 

 day on which the atmosphere was dry and a light breeze blowing. It should be 

 lighted as quickly as possible all along the side from which the wind is blowing, 

 and on the low land first if the wind is favourable. If the brush so dealt with is 

 softwood, after the fire nothing will be left but a few charred stumps, and the 

 land is ready for sowing as soon as the ashes have cooled. 



When brush has been felled during the cold weather no growth is likely to 

 show through it till the spring, but with rains, and warm weather up come many 

 shrubs, weeds, and vines of endless variety, the seeds of which appear to be 

 stored in the brushes waiting for sunlight to germinate. The result is a rank 

 growth, increasing as time goes on, and in parts hiding the felled timber. 

 Several varieties of softwood brush throw out suckers, which by the second year 

 will have grown to a height of 10 or 12 feet. To the inexperienced this gives 

 an idea that there may be a difficulty in firing ; as a matter of fact it rather aids 

 the fire. The green growth is not amongst the decaying rubbish, but above it, 

 and seems to hasten its decay. It acts as a protection against rain ; I have- 

 frequently noticed after heavy showers that rubbish so covered is perfectly dry- 

 With the hot winds of summer soft weeds and vines, which would resist much 

 hot weather if close to the ground, quickly shrivel when dependent on spindly 

 stems which have found their way through the rubbish by a long winding course, 

 and burn readily with the dry material. If the fire is a success very few stumps, 

 sucker; weeds of various kinds come up, but most of these are edible. Parra- 

 matta grass we find the most troublesome weed, but it only lasts two or three 

 years. If grass seed is sown immediately after the fire it will continue to grow 

 even amongst the Parramatta grass. Black thistles may be expected to come up- 

 in abundance, but they are an advantage. If the burn has not been a clean one, 

 or Parramatta grass is very thick, the thistles make a second and a clean burn' 

 a very simple matter. When the thistles begin to wither and the down is- 

 abundant one match thrown down on a hot day will start a running fire which- 

 will cover the whole area in a very short time. 



The cost of felling brush country here is 17s. 6d. to 20s. per acre, and this is- 

 really the whole cost of clearing if a suitable day is picked for burning. One 

 intelligent man can fire thousands of acres in the day. The actual cost of 

 clearing the average forest country on the coast districts is difficult to get at 

 because it is done gradually; first ringbarked, then suckered and grubbed. This 

 may require to be done annually for some years. Finally, say five years after 

 being ringbarked, it may be burned off at a cost of 14s. to 20s. per acre. For 

 grazing purposes only, many people do not burn the dead timber off forest 

 country, and quite overlook the fact that brush country may be dealt with for- 

 grazing purposes in the same way. Brush timber requires to be more deeply 

 ringbarked than forest trees, and some varieties take longer to die than forest 

 trees; but after a brush is ringed and the undergrowth cut, stock find their way 

 into it, and that they get abundance of food is proved by their condition. 



Felling and Burning Scrub Lands.* 



The burning of felled scrub is a very important operation. A good fire- 

 cleans up all but the large stumps and logs; a bad fire means endless and 

 constant hard work afterwards. Usually the scrub is felled early the previous - 

 autumn. The undergrowth and young trees of 2 to 3 inches diameter are first 

 cut down with a brush-hook. This is very important, for the " running " of 

 the fire is materially influenced by the thoroughness with which this work is 

 performed. Then comes the felling of the trees. Those of small diameters ; 



* G. Marks, Manager, Grafton Experiment Farm. 



