CLEARING AND PLANTING. 65 



except for the shock. The last operation in clearing 

 away the virgin forest, preparatory to ploughing, is 

 that known as grubbing, or getting out the roots of the 

 scrub, bushes, and quite young trees. For this work 

 the most effective tool is the mattock, which has an 

 adze on the one face and a narrow axe on the other. 

 Many of the roots can be got out with this tool alone. 

 Where it fails to do the work completely, a team with 

 a short logging chain will soon complete the busi- 

 ness. A good pull at the fangs in one direction, 

 followed by an equally good pull in the opposite 

 direction, will generally loosen the stubbornest root, 

 and once it is loosened the rest is easy. 



