CLEARING AWAY THE FOREST, 125 



wither and die. The sunlight then for the first time 

 is able to penetrate to the soil, and crops are sown 

 among the dead stems of the standing trees, which 

 gradually rot, and in course of time fall to the ground. 

 This, as the reader will see, is an inexpensive and speedy, 

 though rough and primitive process; handed down 

 there is little doubt, from the old Indian times, when 

 the forest tribes occasionally made small clearings of 

 this kind, wherein they sowed their scanty crop of beans 

 or maize. The white settler was not slow to follow their 

 example; but the plan is open to many objections, 

 notably to the danger incurred by men and cattle 

 from the fall of rotten branches, whenever there are 

 gusts of wind. 



The other and more effective process is an actual clear- 

 ance of the timber by means of axe and fire. A spot is chosen 

 for the dwelling house and the settler proceeds to fell some 

 of the most suitable trees, to cut into lengths for the 

 construction of the first log cabin. The brushwood is 

 then removed throughout the extent of the proposed 

 clearing, and is piled into heaps to dry for burning. 

 The larger trees are next attacked, and the woodsman 

 cuts each tree partially through, a few feet above the 

 ground; the cuts being in each case so arranged that 

 the trees may all fall in the same direction; when a 

 sufficient number of trees are thus cut, in a row, one 

 behind the other, a fall is made, a big tree at the 

 furthest end being selected, which is cut through and 

 thrown upon its neighbour : when if the fall has been 

 arranged with judgment, the whole row go down, one 

 after the other from end to end, like a house of cards. 

 The crash is of course tremendous, and as the traveller 

 passes in the distance along some of the forest trails, 



