25 



highest price for sap-ringing is given at 4s. 6d. per acre, the lowest 

 at Is. 6d., the average per acre being 2s. 9d. 



Cost per acre of clearing before and after the destruction of the 

 trees. In nearly all cases the returns show that the cost of clearing 

 the land ready for the plough is reduced to one-half after the 

 timber has been killed by ring-barking or sapping. The highest 

 price for clearing is returned by the Ferguson Farmer's Associa- 

 tion at 20 to 25 per acre before ring-barking and =10 to ,12 

 per acre after the timber is dead. Mr. Andrew Muir returns the 

 cost of clearing at 15 per acre before, and 12 per acre after 

 ring-barking in his district. Nearly all the other returns give the 

 cost at 10 to 12 per acre before ring-barking, and <5 to =7 

 after. Omitting the two returns mentioned above, those of the 

 Ferguson Farmers' Association and Mr. Muir, the average cost of 

 clearing over the whole area covered by the returns, is before ring- 

 barking, 9 14s. per acre, after ring-barking, <5 10s. 6d. per acre. 



MURRAY DISTRICT. 



Varieties of Timber. Jarrah, red gum, blue gum, banksia, 

 sheaoak, paper bark, wild pear tree. 



Method and time of destruction. Jarrah, ring-barking. Red 

 gum, Mr. Richardson recommends ring-barking, while the Murray 

 Horticultural Society recommends sapping. Blue gum, sheaoak, 

 paper bark, wild pear, sapping ; banksia, ring-barking. 



August to December for all trees except banksia, which may 

 be rung at any time, and paper bark and wild pear, the best period 

 for ringing these being returned as doubtful. " The blue gum can 

 be killed at any time of the year within 24 hours if it is properly 

 sapped " according to the Murray Horticultural Society's return. 

 The honorary secretary of this society, in returning the form 

 writes : " It is the general opinion here that ring-barking and 

 sapping tends io toughen the roots of the trees, making the trees 

 harder to pull up for some time after, so if you cannot afford to 

 wait for two or three years to allow the roots to rot it is a better 

 plan to pull up the trees green, as the heavy tops help to bring 

 them down. But having waited the time mentioned, the clearing 

 of land is made all the easier, as the trees come down willingly." 



Effect of the destruction of the trees upon the water supply and 

 growth of native grasses. There is a very decided opinion expressed 

 in both returns that the destruction of the timber largely increases 

 both the water supply and feed. 



Cost per acre of ring-barking and sapping. From Is. to 2s. 

 for ring-barking, according to the quantity of timber. From 2s. to 

 3s. for sapping. 



Cost per acre for clearing before and after the destruction of the 

 trees. The returns show the cost of clearing to be reduced to one- 

 half after the timber is dead. Before ring-barking the cost is set 

 down by the Murray society at from 3 to 5 per acre, and by Mr. 



