PRIMITIVE TREATMENT OF FORESTS. ?3 



somewhat modified form, adapting it to the circumstances 

 of the case, to clear lands of forests, that it may be used 

 for agriculture. 



In a work entitled " Historical and Descriptive 

 Sketches of the Maritime Colonies of British America," 

 by John M'Gregor, published in 1828, in a sketch of the 

 progress of a new settled location upon uncleared forest 

 land, we are told 'the first object is to cut down the trees, 

 which is done by cutting, with an axe, a notch into each 

 side of the tree, about 2 feet above the ground, and rather 

 more than half through on the side it is intended the tree 

 should fall. The lower sides of these notches are hori- 

 zontal, the upper make angles of about 60. The trees 

 are all felled in the same direction, and after lopping off 

 the principal branches, cut into 12 feet or 15 feet length; 

 the whole is left in this state until the proper season for 

 burning arrives, generally in May, when it is set on fire, 

 which consumes all the branches and small wood. The 

 larger lops are then either piled in heaps and burned, or 

 rolled away to make fencing stuff/ There follows an 

 account of the agricultural operations which succeed, but 

 it is the destruction of the forest, as a preparation for 

 these, with which alone we are concerned here. 



Sometimes there is combined with such operations as 

 have been detailed, the preparation of potash from the 

 residuum of the wood consumed. 



The making of salts is toilsome and laborious, but is 

 considered profitable, especially where it is carried on in 

 conjunction with clearing. 



The extent of land which has been denuded of forest 

 by such clearings is immense. 



