Cut-Over Pine Lands in the South. 33 
cut but will quickly sprout and require recutting in the course of 
2 or 3 years. If closely grazed by sheep or goats the sprouts may 
be killed. An arsenic poison has been successfully used for killing all 
kinds of timber and effectually preventing sprouts. Trees are killed 
in a few weeks' time and often in a few days by deep girdling and 
applying a solution made according to the following formula : 
White arsenic (arsenic trioxid) 1 pound. 
Washing soda 1 pound or 
Caustic soda j pound. 
Whiting | pound. 
Water 4 gallons. 
Dissolve the soda in water, using heat if necessary : then slowly 
add the arsenic, previously made into a thin paste, stirring all the 
time ; place on a strong fire and boil for half an hour, stirring from 
time to time. When the arsenic is thoroughly dissolved add the re- 
mainder of the water to make up the ± gallons. The whiting shows 
the trees treated, as it turns white on drying. Trees are girdled by 
a heavy downward stroke of the axe cutting through the bark and 
well into the wood. From a half-pint for small trees to a quart 
for large ones is applied to saturate the girdle. Saplings may be 
cut olT low and the poison thoroughly applied with a swab. The 
poison is more effective if applied in winter or early in spring, but 
will kill trees at any time, 
Down timber should be removed for firewood or piled and burned, 
as it occupies space on which no grass can grow. The removal of 
underbrush and down timber increases to a considerable extent the 
carrying capacity of pastures. 
Seeding the native pastures, following the removal of second- 
growth and down timber, will facilitate the rapid replacement of the 
native grasses. Lespedeza and carpet grass may be sown on favored 
spots of unprepared ground to hasten their natural spread, or where 
the land is sufficiently clear it may be disked at little cost before 
seeding. Disking also helps kill out the wire grass. The beds of old 
tramroads from which the ties have been removed furnish seed 
beds where desirable grasses may be established and gradually spread 
over the pasture. 
Stocking the pastures heavily gradually kills out wire grass and 
establishes carpet grass, but where pasture is grazed close enough in 
spring to kill wire grass other pasture must be provided during sum- 
mer and fall, as the cattle will suffer if not given wider range when 
the pasture begins to fail. Wire grass and broom sedge must be 
grazed closely to be fully utilized, as cattle do not eat it readily after 
it matures. The pasture will gradually improve if closely grazed and 
protected from fire at the same time, but should be seeded to lespe- 
deza and carpet grass for rapid improvement. 
