2l8 



MURRAY DISTRICT. 



Varieties of timber. Jarrah, red gum, blue gum, banksia, she- 

 oak, paper bark, wild pear tree. 



Method and time of destruction. Jarrah, ringbarking. Red gum, 

 Mr. Richardson recommends ringbarking, while the Murray horti- 

 cultural society recommends sapping. Blue gum, sheoak, paper 

 bark, wild pear, sapping. Banksia, ring-barking. 



August to December for all trees except banksia, which may be 

 rung at any time, and paper bark and wild pear, the best period for 

 ringing these being returned as doubtful. u The blue gum can be 

 killed at any time of the year within 24 hours, if it is properly 

 sapped," according to the Murray horticultural society's return. 

 The honorary secretary of this society in returning" the form 

 writes : " It is the general opinion here that ring-barking and 

 sapping tend to toughen the roots of the trees, making the trees 

 harder to pull up for some time after, so if you cannot afford to 

 wait for two or 'three years to allow the roots to rot, it is a better 

 plan to pull up the trees green, as the heavy tops help to bring them 

 down. But having waited the time mentioned, the clearing of the 

 land is made all the easier, as the trees come clown willingly." 



Effect of the destruction of the trees upon the water supply and 

 growth of native grasses. There is a very decided opinion expressed 

 in both returns that the destruction of timber largely increases both 

 the water supply and feed. 



Cost per acre of ring-barking and sapping. From is. to 2s. for 

 ring-barking, according to the quantity of timber. From 2s. to 33. 

 for sapping. 



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

 trees. The returns show the cost of clearing to be reduced to one- 

 half after the timber is dead. Before ring-barking the cost is set 

 down by the Murray society at from 3 to $ per acre, and by Mr. 

 Richardson at from 4 to 15 per acre. After ring-barking, from 

 2 los. to ;8 per acre. 



GREAT SOUTHERN RAILWAY DISTRICT. 



Varieties of trees. White gum, York gum, jarrah, jam, she- 

 oak, stinkwood, manna gum, Hooded gum, red gum, yate, salmon 

 gum, I 'inker's gum or morrell, mallet or fluted gum. 



Method and lime of destruction. In three of the returns 

 sapping is recommended for all the trees mentioned above, with the 

 exception of the salmon gum, which one correspondent advises 

 should be ring-barked. York gum and flooded gum arc liable to 

 throw up suckers, it is said in another return. "Sap-ringing is 

 desirable in each case for immediate results, but ring-burking is 

 preferable if one can afford to wait the results for, say, four years." 

 Wagin-Arllinr fanners' alliance. The Katannin^ farmers' 

 association advocates destroying the white gum and jarrah, either 

 by ring-barking or burning around the butts ; and ring-barking jam, 



