CLEARING LAND FOR FIELDS. 165 



make the labor as light as possible, yet still to increase 

 their, fields, they generally clear a small space every 

 autumn, and ploughing it very slightly, sow it with tur- 

 nips, which answer best for new ground. Next year it 

 is fenced in and added to the field. 



When about to make a clearing, the American looks 

 out for the largest and straightest oaks, which he fells, 

 and sphts into poles, from ten to twelve feet long, for 

 fencing. When he thinks he has enough for this pur- 

 pose, the rest is cut up and piled ; next, the trees 

 which have a diameter of eighteen inches and under, 

 are felled, at about half a yard from the ground, and 

 cut into lengths, while the larger trees are girdled all 

 round with the axe, and very soon die. The shrubs 

 and bushes are then rooted up with a heavy hoe, and, 

 with the help of the neighbors who are invited for 

 the purpose, the whole, except the poles for the fence, 

 is rolled into a heap and set on fire. 



As soon as the land is cleared of all that can be 

 easily removed it is fenced in and ploughed. This last 

 work is very severe, and gives the ploughman and 

 cattle many a rough shake, as the ploughshare, catching 

 in the roots, has constantly to be lifted out of the 

 ground, or to be moved out of the way of the standing 

 stumps. These stumps give the fields a very extraor- 

 dinary appearance ; it takes from six to ten years before 

 they rot away entirely. It sometimes happens that the 

 trees killed by girdhng are blown down amongst the 

 growing crops, and the settler has a great deal of 

 trouble in removing them. 



The land about Saint's farm, when not inundated, 

 was yerj fertile, and required little labor. It produced 



