Clearing Stumbs.

Te Aroha News, Volume XIV, Issue 2089, 26 March 1898, Page 2

Clearing Stumbs.

The settlers on'heavily timbered land in New South Wales are adopting a new method of stumping their country, says the Hawke’s Bay Herald. It is estimated that it costs from £l2 to £ls an aero to clear forest land for the plough, even after the first cost of cutting down and burning off the scrub, but the system of * stoveburning,’or ‘ charring,* however, now adopted by the settlers, reduces the cost to, perhaps, less than L 5 per acre, and the work is so simple that if can be carried out by an old man or any intelligent boy. The modm operandi is this :—A trench a few inches wide and half a spade deep is carried all round the tree close to the trunk. This trench, which should slope towards the tree, is filled with small dry timber—a barrowful or two will bo sufficient for the largest tree—which is then set on fire, and when lit is covered lightly with turf, the grass side under. The fire is thus kept smouldering away against the base of the tree. 'The first layers of turf should be just enough to prevent the smoke and flames coming through, and as the fire progresses fresh soil may be added and pressed lightly down for the same purpose. One person can attend to a large number of trees at the same time, and the fires go on steadily day and night, not only burning through the trunk, but running along the roots for a considerable depth. There is another advantage in this matter of clearing, and that is that the danger of bush fires is reduced to a minimum, while if the fire once gets a good hold it takes very heavy and continual rain to put it out.