156 THE farmers' handbook. 



The next question was: When do you find the most vigorous suckering, 

 after winter or summer ringing? This question was partly covered by the 

 first. Ten persons were of opinion that suckering was freer after winter 

 than summer ringing, and three votes were recorded vice versa. Two had the 

 proviso, " if followed by heavy rains," when referring to summer ringing. 



To the third question, what kind of ringing do you prefer, several replies 

 were received, and these may be summarised thus : — 



Timber. j Chip out or Scarf. 



Frill. 



Box and Gum ... ... ... 14 



All others... .. ... ... 2 



The disparity between the totals is because some correspondents only referred^ 

 to box and gum. 



It is an almost unanimous opinion that chip ringing is the only satisfactory 

 method for old box and gum, and scarf for trees from 10 to 18 inches in 

 diameter. Frill ringing for these varieties has been abandoned. 



Mr. McKellar, of Merri Merigal, who has 300,000 acres of ringbarked 

 country under his charge, and an experience extending over twenty-five years,, 

 described chip ringing thus : — " The chip ringing I refer to is made by two- 

 down chops, the first being the same as in frill ringing, and the second 

 about 2 inches above and allowing the axe-head to fall outwards, which 

 breaks the chip out. My experience here is that you must damage the outer 

 surface of sapwood the whole way round, or you will have trouble with the 

 bark joining across the space." 



Mr. Officer, Kergunyah, Cobar, stated : — " For full-grown timber I prefer 

 the chip out, but for trees under 9 inches in diameter, a strip of bark 8 inches 

 wide. Timber under 4 inches in diameter I do not ring, as the suckering is 

 too vigorous, and if cut any depth a great many blow down and grow 

 stronger. These I trim to 7 feet of all limbs, and so improve the country by 

 allowing the sun to penetrate and sweeten the grass." Mr. Officer has 40,000' 

 acres of ringbarked country, done over a period of years, and is one of the 

 most successful men in the district. 



Another very general and successful method is to take a strip of bark 9 to 

 12 inches right round the trunk, removing every vestige of bark about 

 3 feet from the ground. By this method, the tree naturally dies more slowly 

 than when the cut is made into the sapwood, but there is the very great 

 advantage that suckering is slighter. 



In connection with dealing with suckers, Mr. Madden, The . Eookery ,. 

 Cobar, wrote : — " In ringbarking suckers, which are too big to split off with 

 the axe, it is always an advantage to ring the suckers in preference to the 

 stump underneath them. When the stump is ' rung,' the sprouts will come 

 out of the ground from the roots, and are very hard to get rid of." 



Frill ringing for trees other than box and gum is recommended, and is the 

 practice all over this district, where contracts for over 200,000 acres on 

 different stations have recently been let. 



