62 FRUIT RAXCniNG. 



that a tree in falling lodges against another tree, and 

 so fails to reach the ground. In that case the woods- 

 men attack a third tree standing close by, and 

 saw it down in such a way that, when it crashes, it 

 falls across the first tree, and the two then generally 

 come to the ground together. 



After the tree lies prone on the ground, it is 

 stripped of its branches, and the trunk is sawn into 

 definite lengths of ten, twelve, and so on up to twenty 

 feet. The branches are left on the ground, for, the 

 trees being mostly straight conifers, the branches are 

 generally small. The logs are drawn off, and either 

 sent to the saw-mill to be cut up into planks and 

 building timber, or sawn up on the spot for cordwood 

 (firewood) and fencing posts and rails. When all the 

 big trees are felled, the bushes are slashed down with 

 a sort of bill-hook, known as a bush-hook, and then 

 the whole of the ground is swept by fire. By British 

 Columbia law this burning of the scrub ought to be 

 done in the month of April, but is prohibited, under 

 heavy fines, in the succeeding hot, dry months — from 

 fear of forest fires. The law is not everywhere rigidly 

 enforced, and the consequence is that forest fires are 

 frequent. There is nothing to prevent a rancher from 

 burning his scrub during the winter months, pro- 

 vided he can get it to burn then. 



After the burning, the proceeding is to eradicate, 

 or grub out, the charred stumps of the big trees. In 

 some parts of the country this is done with a stumping 

 machine; but the machine is expensive, and not easy 

 to move about in a mountainous country. I do not 

 remember ever to have heard of one being used in 

 the Kootenays. In default of using a stumping 



