2I 7 



saying it was money thrown away, but I see now a good many of 

 them arc following my example. You can now see nearly all over 

 the paddock and there is a good swath of Knglish grasses growing 

 in a large portion of it." The Preston progress association reports 

 that " chopping down blackboys greatly improves the carrying 

 capabilities of the land." 



/{//<(/ o/" I lie ifcslniclion <)/'/nrs upon the water supply uinl i^nn^l/i 

 ofiin />>( -s There is a decided unanimity of opinion that the killing 

 of the timber increases the water supply in all the localities from 

 which correspondents have replied, but apparently more so in 

 some localities than others. The increase in the water supply is 

 probably governed by the diversity of the timber and the geological 

 formation of the ground, and thus the slight difference in opinion 

 may be accounted for. With one exception, that of the Ferguson 

 farmer's association, who report that " the natural grasses die out" 

 after ring-barking, there is a decided unanimity of opinion that the 

 destruction of the timber is followed by a marked increase in the 

 stock carrying capacity of the land. So unanimous is this opinion 

 that one is led to believe that the exception referred to above has 

 been caused, perhaps not by ring-barking, but by the young and 

 finer grasses which the destruction of the timber had induced to 

 grow, being fed out by overstocking. In fern (bracken) country 

 ring-barking appears to be of doubtful benefit. Mr. Andrew Muir, 

 Lake Muir, writes : u From my own experience I should say that 

 ring-barking improves all lands where there are no ferns ; but in 

 fern country the killing of the timber stimulates the growth of the 

 ferns to such an extent that they completely choke out the grasses 

 in a few years." 



Cost per acre of ring-barking or sapping. The highest price paid 

 for ring-barking is, according to the returns, 2s. 6d. per acre, the 

 lowest, is. ; the average price per acre being is. 9|d. The highest 

 price for sap-ringing is given at 45. 6d. per acre, the lowest at 

 is. 6d., the average per acre being 2s. 9fd. 



Cost per acre of clearing before and after the destruction of the 

 trees, In nearly all cases the returns show that the cost of clearing 

 the land ready for the plough is reduced to one-half after the timber 

 has been killed by ring-barking or sapping. The highest price for 

 clearing is returned by the Ferguson farmer's association at ^"20 

 to 25 per acre before ring-barking, and 10 to 12 per acre after 

 the timber is dead. Mr. Andrew Muir returns the cost of clearing 

 at ^15 per acre before and 12 per acre after ring-barking in his 

 district. Nearly all the other returns give the cost at 10 to 12 

 per acre before ring-barking, and $ to 7 after. Omitting the 

 two returns mentioned above, those of the Ferguson farmers' 

 association and Mr. Muir, the average cost of clearing over the 

 whole area covered by the returns is, before ring-barking, ^9 143. 

 per acre, after ring-barking, $ los. 6d. per acre. 



