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Effect of the destruction of trees upon the water supply and 
growth of native grasses—The effect is very great upon the water 
supply. Even within six months after ringing, the supply gets 
stronger; the grass grows thicker and is appreciated more by stock. 
Mr. McKenzie Grant, Newmarracarra, writes :—‘Ring-barking 
I find is only the beginning of clearing the land, as the saplings and 
young shoots keep springing up, and have to be grubbed out year 
after year.” 
Cost per acre of ring-barking, sapping, and clearing.—The 
clearing of the land ready for the plough, either for farming or for 
fruit growing, is much reduced after the timber has been killed by 
ring-barking or sapping. A better burn is secured, the toil of grub- 
bing out the trees is lessened, and when felled the dead roots displace 
and bring up to the surface a smaller quantity of the raw subsoil. 
“Ring-barking” consists in cutting around the siem and through 
the bark to the growing wood a double ring eight or nine inches 
apart and with the back of the axe knocking out the strip ring 
between. This will interfere with the downward flow of the sap 
and the trees first linger and then die. 
“Sap ringing” consists in driving the axe through the bark and 
the eambium or growing wood in two rings likewise a few inches 
apart. This operation causes the trees to die quicker, but sometimes 
results in suckers growing round the butt. 
“Frill ringing” in done by driving the axe through bark and 
cambium round the stem, pressing oulward at the same time. This 
done, a solution of arsenic is poured into the fresh wound with the 
view of poisoning both ascending and descending sap, and leads 
to the speedy killing of the tree and the prevention of suckering. 
The average cost per acre of frill-ringing, sapping, and ring- 
barking is 1s., 2s., and 3s. respectively, and this small expenditure 
reduces the cost of clearing, after the timber has been cleared, fully 
one-half. 
As regards clearing proper, the cost ranges from £1 5s. per 
acre, when the trees are simply removed by the method known as 
“Mullenising” or burning on the spot, without grubbing out the 
roots, to £25 and £30 per acre,as in the case of mixed Karri and Red 
gum serub in the south-west portion of the State. The cost in each 
case is governed by the character and density of the trees and the 
skill of the bushman, and no estimate of the cost ean be given. The 
use of explosives, traction. engines, and of tree pullers, by reducing 
the cost, nas made it possible to clear trees, roots, tops, and all at 
prices which under the old method of hand grubbing was absolutely 
out of reason. 
Tree clearing and water supply and growth of native grasses.— 
There is a decided consensus of opinion that the destruction of tim- 
