13 



II 

 Historical Remarks 



The Use of Fir e in Clearing Land 



How did Light Burning originate? Is it practiced 

 hy any nation in any country? Or in any parts of the 

 United States other than in California? 



With the advent of man into a new country eomes 

 the rapid destruction of the forests. Man in his en- 

 deavors to gain a livelihood at first finds the un- 

 broken forest an ohstaole which he must remove so that 

 he may cultivate the ground and produce crops. And by 

 the means of fire, he clears a place where his germin- 

 ating seeds may see the light - a primitive method, yet 

 one that suffices. Thus, in India "kumari" in engaged 

 in toclear the land. After an aree is cleared by fire 

 crops are grown thereon for a few years, in which time 

 the fertility of the soil having decreased somewhat, 

 other areas are cleared and the former openings are 

 permitted to revert ot forest again. (Kumari = jhum, 

 k&il, taungya). 



Similarly, in some South African districts, fire 

 is used in clearing. 



The practice of clearing land for cultivation by 

 means of fire, known as "sartage",;.wasrf ormerly employ- 

 ed in France. Here, after cutting had taken place in 



