Cutting to Kill Brush. 63 
from time to time by night as well as by day. It is not'necessary to dig 
much of a ‘‘pit’? in the ground. Choose hard limbs of pine, spruce or 
whatever wood is most available of that kind. Dry, dead limbs, if not 
decayed, take for choice. Set them up wigwam fashion, close together, 
fitting them as well as they will allow, the apex forming the chimney. Be 
careful to keep that chimney free, because the fire should be there applied 
to brisk ‘‘kindling” as far down as possible. Build round and round, tak- 
ing the precaution to lay three or four straight pieces, three or four inches 
in diameter, along the ground from the outside to the center. These may 
have to be withdrawn to promote the draught. 
The wood all being in place, it is now required to cover it thoroughly. 
In the absence of turf or sods, it must be thatched with leavy green boughs, 
or anything that will prevent the earth or dirt that is now heaped on from 
running through. Pack this soil covering carefully, exclude air as far as 
possible, excepting when the port-holes referred to near the ground are 
needed. The direction of the wind will determine which ones are to be 
opened. When the fire—after a few hours, more or less, according to the 
materials—has got a good hold, close also the chimney. Visit the pit reg- 
ularly, night and day; lessen or increase the draught as may seem needed; 
and in a week or ten days the two or three cords of wood should be turned 
into good hard coal. When uncovered, water or dirt should be thrown 
upon coal that is too lively when spread out on the ground. 
Cutting to Kall Brush—Just when to cut to kill depends upon 
the character of the growth and of the season. Dr. J. W. Gally 
says: “It all depends, with the leaf shedders, somewhat on soil 
and altitude or nature of climate. Now, in Pajaro Valley, which 
is cool and moist, I have seen willow, sycamore, cottonwood, box- 
elder, maple, and ‘grub’ oak die out from being cut down flat 
with the ground, or to two or three inches below the surface, in 
late July or early August. But even that will depend some- 
what on the kind of season; if in a late, cold, wet season, you 
cut a little later.” 
Mr. P. C. Scranton, of Lake County, gives a slightly differ- 
ent time. He says: ‘‘For the evergreen oaks and other ever- 
green brush, the time is late in the fall, just before the coldest 
weather sets in in November or December. The ‘grubs,’ or 
oaks that shed their leaves, have to be treated entirely different. 
Their time is in spring or early summer, at their most vigorous 
growth. Suddenly deprived of their leaves, the stump and roots. 
are overcharged with sap, some kind of fermentation sets in, 
and J have seen the timber mold and commence to decay in a 
few days when it was very warm weather.” In the eastern hills 
of Fresno County best success is had with cutting brush in 
August. More experience and observation are needed to enable 
one to generalize safely, but one conclusion seems to be that 
with deciduous growths the best time to cut is when they have 
just made their most vigorous growth, and this is in the sum- 
mer—but the month to be chosen for the work will depend upon 
the location, though August is generally selected as the best 
time. id 
