On clearing Land, and on Fences. 115 



do not stand near as long, as they would have done, 

 had the timber been cut off instead of being girdled, 

 and as it will seldom be found convenient for the cul- 

 tivator to commence sawing and rafting lumber, until 

 some considerable improvement has been made, and a 

 tolerable cultivation has taken place, his girdled limber 

 may stand on his fields, until he can engage in this bu- 

 siness with profit. This is certainly an object worthy 

 of consideration, and although some loss will arise 

 from the continued falling of the timber (when it is 

 suffered to stand until it decays,) on the grain, grass, 

 and other crops, yet I am disposed to believe that the 

 losses from this cause bear too small a proportion to 

 the numerous advantages arising from it, to claim the 

 serious attention of those who impartially investigate 

 the subject. Those who girdle timber never have to cut 

 it down, and this not only saves expense, but the 

 farmer derives great advantage from an early remov- 

 al of the stumps and roots : yet the alarming appear- 

 ance of heavy timber, generally induces some, either 

 to purchase where it is lighter, or to commence gird- 

 ling on the thinner ridges of their farms, without suf- 

 ficiently considering, that this measure entails on their 

 future industry all the losses arising from cultivating 

 a thin, instead of a deep soil, and in return for this sa- 

 crifice, they only save the trivial labour of more gird- 

 ling, and escape contending with more roots, when 

 both those evils seldom amount to near the extent of 

 labour, which they must necessarily encounter from 

 the extra grubs, brambles, &c. generally prevailing in 

 the less heavy timbered, and more open wood lands. 



