Clearing and Preparing the Land 171 



stumps and logs have still to be got rid of. 

 This is accomplished in the general clean-up 

 which is now inaugurated. What logs remain 

 are still further broken up and reduced in 

 size, then piled with brushwood over the tops 

 of the refractory stumps still standing, and 

 upon these piles are also thrown all the 

 remaining refuse and debris that it is desired 

 to get rid of. In fact, these final fires are kept 



foing until the whole clean-up is satisfactorily 

 nished. Draught animals may be used with 

 great advantage to haul good timber logs 

 off the area being cleared. What we call 

 "stone-boats" may also be easily constructed 

 out of the handy timber and used with 

 bullocks for hauling wood and stumps. 



" Stone-boats " are made from two longi- 

 tudinal runners formed of logs about 6 ft. to 

 8 ft. long and 8 in. in diameter, either bent up 

 naturally at the ends or suitably trimmed for 

 the purpose ; these are fastened together 

 transversely, about 2^ ft. apart, by short, 

 stout pieces being mortised in between them. 

 The whole forms a strong platform upon 

 which, being so close to the ground, great 

 weights can be levered with little effort, and 

 when laden they glide easily over the dry 

 ground like sledges. They are further very 

 useful where quarry stone has to be hauled 

 for building purposes, or heavy pieces of 

 machinery for an oil factory, or, in fact, to 

 shift any heavy and bulky thing. While the 



