EFFECT OF SETTLEMENT UPON INDIGENOUS VEGETATION. 181 
there is some amount of reforesting going on, but up till the 
present time, the area can only be small, and may be left out of 
consideration. We may hope however, that under the present 
policy of the Government on the subject of forests, that the re- 
forestation of various districts will proceed with vigour. 
The next point to be considered under this division, is the 
method of action ; and this may be classified in two subdivisions, 
Direct, the actual destruction of the flora; and Indirect, which 
includes the effects of clearing on (a) the forest flora ; (6) the sur- 
face reacting on the flora; (c) the climate reacting on the flora ; 
(d) the fauna reacting on the flora; and (e) the effects of the 
checking of bush fires. 
1. Direct action. Actual destruction of the flora. 
The plants that are absolutely destroyed are of all genera and 
species. In clearing for cultivation, the trees are of course the 
first to suffer. Then during burning off the timber, where that 
course is resorted to, all the undergrowth and herbaceous plants 
are entirely exterminated; ploughing the ground completes 
the destruction, and the tract thus cleared never thoroughly 
recovers, even if no crop be put in, and the ground left fallow to 
produce what itcan. An example of this may be seen at Heathcote 
on the Illawarra Railway Line, where large tracts of the National 
Park were cleared and dug by the unemployed some years ago. 
Even from the train in passing it is easy to see the vast difference 
between this piece of country and the adjoining uncleared bush. 
And a closer inspection will show that a very large percentage of 
native plants have disappeared completely, and that even the 
undisturbed state of the land for some years has failed to repro- 
duce that which was destroyed. | 
In clearing land for building townships, for roads, railways and 
for telegraph lines where such do not go along road or rail, the 
devastation is equally complete. In the latter case the land 
must be cleared of all trees, shrubs and undergrowth for a distance 
of thirty feet on each side. In this case, of course, the herbaceous 
and low growing plants suffer least, but the amount of damage 
