108 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



In some cases this might not be a favor- 

 able condition, because there may be 

 places where the root system would lack 

 aeration, where the air is obstructed by 

 a thin stratum of rock or of hard pan; 

 but we have seen trees growing under 

 similar conditions where they seemed to 

 be healthy and vigorous, and apparently 

 had not suffered from lack of aeration. 



Surface Rock 



As to small rocks on the surface it 

 may be better to remove them before 

 planting, but except in so far as they in- 

 terfere with cultivation it seems to us to 

 make little difference whether they are 

 removed or not. It is claimed that sur- 

 face rocks are an advantage, aside from 

 the difficulty of cultivation, because they 

 absorb the heat more readily during the 

 day and during the night radiate it more 

 rapidly than the soil, thus warming the 

 surrounding atmosphere. Whatever may 

 be the disadvantage of rocky surfaced 

 soil, I have seen some very excellent or- 

 chards growing where the surface was 

 well covered with rock. 



GR.4.NVILLE LOWTHER 



LOOGED-OFF LAND 

 Cost and Methods of Clearing 



The following facts are the result of 

 Investigations begun by the Department 

 of Agriculture in 1908 in Western Wash- 

 ington and in co-operation subsequently 

 with the states of Washington, Wiscon- 

 sin and Minnesota. 



Bibliograpliy 



Farmers' Bulletin No. 462 — "Utilization 

 of Logged-off Land for Pasture." 



Farmers' Bulletin No. 137 — "The An- 

 gora Goat." 



Washington Bulletin No. 78.— "The 

 Goat Industry in Western Washington." 



Washington Bulletin No. 101. — Sparks. 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau 

 of Plant Industry, Bulletin No. 239. 



Usually logged-off land in Washington 

 and Oregon is left thickly covered with 

 stumps, snags, and scattering trees with- 

 out commercial value, as well as brush 

 and logs. The cost of clearing such land 

 is dependent upon the number and size 

 of stumps left, the quantity of debris 



and the character of the soil from which 

 stumps are to be removed. The fir lands 

 of Western Washington and Oregon are 

 the most expensively cleared of all such 

 lands. 



FiR. ]. 



Typical Clearing in Western 

 Washington. 



Slashing 



Logged-off lands on the Pacific Coast 

 very quickly grow up to young trees and 

 brush and the first step in the process of 

 clearing it is to slash this young growth. 

 This should be done in early summer for 

 two reasons, the first being to give time 

 for some drying to occur before burning 

 and the second that sprouting from the 

 stumpage is not so apt to occur. 



Fis 



T.vpical Stump To Be Removed. 



Windfalls should be brought down to 

 the ground and large logs split open 

 enough to allow them to dry out some- 

 what. 



It is an economy to pasture land for a 

 few years after the slashing has been 

 burned to give time for small stumps 

 and roots to decay. Goats and sheep are 

 especially valuable for this purpose par- 

 ticularly in the case of maple and alder 

 bottoms since the.v keep down sprouts. 

 The claim is made that flocks will pay 



