184 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Mar., 1899. 
found that they had increased in density and beauty of foliage. The salt 
seemed to have given them new life, as it was carried with the circulating sap 
from roots to leaves. Evidently something was wrong. After a time, he met 
a Canadian gentleman to whom he casually mentioned his experiment, and 
expressed his opinion that he could not have read the recipe correctly. The 
Canadian, however, told him that he was quite right. Saltpetre was the only 
ingredient used, and thousands of acres were cleared by its help in Canada. 
What had to be done, however, after the salt had been carried through the 
trees was to ringbark them, and when they were dead to fire them. The 
Woody Point man set to work and carried out the ringbarking. When the 
trees were quite dead he set them on fire, with the result that the trees burnt 
completely out, even to the farthest tips of the roots. Before all were burt 
out heavy rains came on and swamped the stumpholes, putting out the fires, 
but the experiment was a decided success. 
He next determined to try the dead logs. Here he failed until he 
discovered that by mixing two parts of strong saltpetre brine with one part of 
kerosene, he could saturate the dead timber. When that was done, he waited 
for a dry hot wind, and then set the paddock on fire. The logs and stumps 
took fire and burned completely out. The whole cost of the business amounted, a8 
stated, to about 26s. per acre. 
With the smaller timber he took another plan. ‘The saplings were cut 
down, and a large square wedge was driven into the top of the stumps, splitting 
them into several picces. When these were dry they were fired, and the result 
has been that no aftergrowth has made its appearance anywhere. ‘The paddock 
is perfectly cleared, whilst neighbouring paddocks where the timber hat 
been felled and burned off are covered with a dense undergrowth of young 
gums, wattles, honeysuckle, &c. 
Another method of clearing land of dead standing timber is not new, but 
if is very seldom adopted. This is simplicity itself. Where the trees have beet 
long dead, all that is necessary is to clear out a little soil to bare the roots. 
Then afte: building a fire all round the base of the tree the fire is covered with 
sods after the fashion of a charcoal pit, and the timber is gradually converted 
into charcoal and falls, the stump being acted upon in the same manner. ‘This 
plan is at the present moment being adopted by a contractor for clearing # 
paddock of standing dead timber at the Queensland Agricultural College at 
Gatton, and is quite successful. 
Dairying, 
THE RIPENING OF CHEESE. 
Notwrrusranpine the skill of the cheese-maker in preparing his wnilk and the 
after treatment and manipulation of the curd, he should observe and know; 
both practically and in theory, the most advisable methods of ripening his 
cheese if he is to succeed in placing on the market a really good article of its 
kind. 
The want of quality in a cheese may, of course, be due to the use of 
inferior milk or to lack of knowledge and skill in the making. But supposing 
that in both these particulars things are as they should be, many a good chees® 
may be spoiled by injudicious treatment or careless management during the 
after period of ripening. 
