Secondary succession on abandoned farm/and.

A proposed

experiment at Point Prim.

Spruce on Point Prim due to exposure.

Girdling trees.

Beech lands.

Costs of clearing land.

sooner brought into complete cultivation than any others — Or if cultivation were not thought adviseable, there could be no danger on such twice burnt land from the falling branches & the land by close pasturing would in some years completely clear itself — It is admitted that close pasturing especially with sheep will effectually keep down wood — Yet | see many places in the Island. formerly cultivated, now growing up into young wood — but this is because the fences are neglected — cattle that are allowed the range of the woods are eager only after the grass, but if they were confined to a spot they would brouze everything. To make a trial of this fiery principle of improvement, I have directed a cut to be made thro the woods (for stopping the communication of the fire) & to cut off about 100 or 150 acres on Pt. Prim to be burnt and pastured. —— [pp. 19-20]

Oct. 1803 Isle — though this appears to be a note added in October 7804 — see below for 7804 part of Diary] — This has not been done from apprehension that the communication of the fire could not be stopped with sufficient certainty & if the fire should have spread it might have done great injury to the buildings etc. of the adjoining Settlers: — had the neighbourhood been unsettled the experiment might have been made. — Much of this is Spruce wood, which has very easy roots, & will (I am told) grub in 3 or 4 years afterwards — Spruce generally grows on poor land, but here the land seems to be good, 8: the spruce prevails only because of the exposed situation killing the other woods. ~ [p. 20]

Laird alledges that all trees die outright when girdled, & that the contrary is owing to its being imperfectly done — I think he is in the right, for I examined several trees that had been girdled & still retained leaves (particularly maples) & | always found some corner of the bark that had escaped & kept up the communication. — Girdling is not in general practise in the Island for clearing but I see it occasionally done to trees beside Roads. —

Laird argues that the Inland lands in the Island cannot be settled with advantage to a farmer where they are Beech lands — on such he says he may raise Wheat 81 Potatoes & maintain himself, but cannot keep stock for want of Hay, if he has no marsh, nor swampy or sappy land capable of being made into meadow — Clover he says cannot be depended on, for when the winter is open without snow (as for two years past) the young plant of Clover is destroyed —Timothy requires sappy land, or else much manure, which cannot be procured where there is not already a supply of hay from marsh etc. Mr. Cambridge is one of the few proprietors in the Island who put a value on Inland lands — he says he would not part with it under 2/ — per acre — The Stewarts’ seem all to reckon it as nothing — they do not seem to calculate much on any rise in the value of Land. [p. 21]

Currie ["a tenant of Gov. Fanning's Lot 50"] reckons 25/— per acre, current price for Chopping, & Junking an acre of wood — To Chop is to cut over the trees — Junk, cut into lengths. For piling & burning 25l— more. — Some easy lands are done for 20/- & 20— Currie reckons 6 or 8 days for chopping & junking an acre — He reckons that a man may (besides all the other work of the farm) clear 3 or 4 acres annually — of which one half could be burnt in time for potatoes — the cutting he would do in Winter, burn as it lies in the beginning of Spring — pile the logs, & burn in piles as much as possible in Spring for Potatoes and barley [without any other manure than the ashes] — the remainder in Summer and sow with Winter Wheat , — Currie speaks of 3 or 4 acres per annum as an exertion — & the work of an industrious man — few do it in the Island few are so anxious to extend their improvements as to do this except for two or three of the first years. — Currie's Ideas may perhaps be taken as a criterion for comparing the Highland Settlers with the Americans — Laird in 8 years has cleared 50 acres — i.e. above 6 acres a year at an average — or double Currie’s estimate of good work Mr. McEachern — the Cathc Priest — who seems well acquainted with Country business, says the new Settlers may clear 7 or 8 acres each the first year —— & more the first than ever after — having little other work to take

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