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spread over as large a surface of ground as possible. Clause 6 is 
inserted at discretion. If work is very plentiful, and the settler 
has a large area, it may be omitted; but if the area is 100 acres 
or less, the economy of firewood cannot begin too soon. It may 
appear to the settler that there is plenty of wood for all the 
world, and for ever; but even if there was, there is no sense in 
wasting it. There is no sense in wasting anything, so far as my 
experience goes. But, as a matter of fact, it does not take very 
long, if clearing is vigorously pursued, to exhaust the wood sup- 
plies on a 100-acre farin; for it must be borne in mind that, even 
with the most careful management, about 80 per cent. of what 
would otherwise be available for firewood has to be used in burn- 
ing the trunks and butts of trees that cannot be utilised. 
It is important that no holes should be filled until they have 
been examined for roots, and when they are filled in they should 
be heaped up a little, in order to allow for the settling down of 
the loose soil that must eventually take place. It is for the person 
letting the contract to say whether he will supply tree pullers, 
tools, explosives, and rations. As a rule, the contractors supply 
themselves with all these things, and it is better, as it saves 
possible complications, that they should. 
Before going any further, I should like to impress upon the 
minds of not only new settlers, but old settlers also, the desirable- 
ness of having all contracts made in writing. Memory is so apt 
to play us false; black and white, never. The risks to both sides 
of acting upon a verbal agreement are infinitely greater than 
committing oneself to any serious error in signing a written con- 
tract that has been mutually agreed upon. 
To return to clearing, and the new and inexperienced settler 
who has, perforce, to undertake the work himself. 
On clearing the lighter soils, which generally, in this State, 
mean lighter and easily removed timber, there is very little to be 
said. Common sense in this, as in everything else. must be the 
settler's best guide. It may be that it will be considered desirable, 
the first year, to leave all the large timber standing, in which case 
it should be ring-barked at once, no matter what time of the year 
—and grub out only the small stuff, sav 12 inches in diameter and 
under. If the Jarge trees are not too thick, this can be done with 
advantage, and the ground ean be ploughed—‘‘scruffed up’’ is the 
better expression, as it is hardly ploughing, under the cireum- 
stances—with a stump-jump plough. This plough, as its name 
implies. is constructed in such a manner as to permit ground of 
the very roughest kind being worked. If an obstacle which cannot 
be cut through is encountered by the share, the movable beam is 
raised by the tractive force, and, after the obstacle is passed, the 
