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Method and time of destruction. The Beverley branch advises 

 ring-barking all the eucalypti, while the York branch advocates 

 sapping, without any reservation. The Greenhills progress associa- 

 tion advises that old York gum trees should be sap-ringed and that 

 the young ones should be ring-barked ; that white gum, salmon 

 gum, cassia and jam, should be sap-ringed, and that the blue bush 

 should be cut down. It will thus be seen there is a preponderance 

 of opinion in favor of sap-ringing. 



From January to April is the opinion of the York and Beverley 

 branches for ring-barking or sapping all trees, while the Greenhills 

 association advises November to April for ring-barking York gum, 

 and -May to October for sapping this tree. November to May is 

 the period advised for destroying white gum and cassia, and " any 

 month " for the remaining trees. 



Mr. W. Padbury filled in a return embracing his experience in 

 the Eastern districts, the Victoria Plains, and at Yatheroo. His 

 remarks may be inserted here. He says : " I would not cut 

 through the sap of trees on land I wanted to cultivate ; as when 

 the tree is dead and the tree-puller is put on to it, if it has been 

 cut through the sap, it is liable to break off and leave the stump in 

 the ground. I prefer using the tree-puller in clearing, to the 

 ordinary grubbing, as it pulls more roots clean out, and in plough- 

 ing afterwards you do not find so many obstructions. For red 

 gums, white gums, salmon gums, and York gums, I find sapping 

 the best, and the time I do it is as soon as the bark will run after 

 the first winter rains, until the sap goes down again. With Hooded 

 gums I find you must cut through the sap, as they will not die 

 otherwise. My experience is that trees that have been sap-ringed 

 do not generally throw out so many suckers. Some trees take 

 two or three years to die, according to the nature of the tree and 

 the land on which it grows. I think when the sap is well up, say 

 September, October, and November, is the best time for ring- 

 barking, as the tree dies more quickly if the work is done at this 

 time." 



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

 growth of native grasses. There is an unanimous opinion expressed 

 that a most marked increase takes place in both the water supply 

 and the number and vitality of the native grasses that spring up 

 after the trees have been destroyed. 



Cost per acre of ring-barking or sapping. From is. 3d. to 

 2s. 6d. per acre are the prices given for ring-barking, and is. yd. to 

 2s. 6d. for sapping. The York branch puts down the first cost 

 of sapping at is. 3d. to is. c;d. per acre, and second cost 4d. to 6d. 

 per acre for killing suckers. 



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

 trees. The cost of clearing for the plough after the country has 

 been ring-barked for two to three years, is in all cases estimated 

 at half that of clearing prior to ring-barking. The average cost o 



