Courtesy of TROVE Northern Star, Saturday 12 April 1947

SAGAS OF THE EARLY DAYS by WINDSOR LANG.

Trials Of The Early Settler

HAVING set up his temporary living quarters, the selector’s next move was to clear sufficient space to permit of the erection of a more substantial hut, and of barns for his prospective produce. This spot having been cleared, timber for such construction had to be provided. Most frequently the selector was not close to an established sawmill, so he had to seek the co-operation of his selector-neighbour, or neighbours.

A sawpit, for common use by the party, was dug, and the necessary timber pit sawn. He had again to call on the help of the same party, when erecting his hut and farm buildings. He, in turn, gave them his assistance. When the selector was housed in his new hut he had to plan for the provision of a vegetable garden-patch, from which to supply his household larder.

Fortunately, vegetables grew luxuriantly, but without adequate protection they would be soon eaten up by bandicoots, paddy melons and other bush creatures. To exclude these the selector enclosed his garden-patch by a palisade of closely-set saplings from the bush.

Although all this had entailed many days of planning and toil, after all it was but preliminary to the real work that lay ahead.

Included in the bush growth on his holding much of the timber had no commercial value at the time. Many of the trees would have been valuable to a saw-miller if the logs could have been delivered to the saw-mill yards, but it would have been useless to endeavour to engage a person operating a bullock-team transport to come in.

For him it would have been most uneconomical. He would have had to brush a track through a long forest of similarly valuable but more conveniently-situated trees. Nothing was left for the selector to do but to sacrifice most of his timber.

Odd giants, too tough a proposition for the initial “felling” operations, or to be reserved for future milling or fencing needs, would be isolated. In some instances standing trees were sold, for later removal, to some person, or firm, with timber interests.

THIS TIMBER later on became an embarrassment to the selector. He was obliged to leave it cumbering the ground that he needed for production. As clearing and felling proceeded very big trees, doomed to subsequent destruction, would be “ringbarked.”

Clearing by felling had to be performed within the least possible time. The “drive” method was commonly employed. That is the saplings would be left untouched by the axe, Trees with larger trunks would be cut but part-way through, and eventually, behind all these one huge monster would be felled, and, with a favouring breeze, in its fall it would take the others crashing in quick succession.

This method was particularly effective on slightly sloping ground. The felled trees had to be left for a later period, when the limbs with their foliage were sufficiently dry for burning. Wind and general weather conditions had to be suitable for a successful “burning off.”

When the holding was reasonably cleared, the selector had to set about fencing his property. In nearly every instance roughly-constructed “cockatoo” fences were erected at first. These had the advantage of being erected, and, if necessary, later re-erected, in sections. When the land had been cleared by axe and fire the selector had to decide what crop he should endeavour to produce.

The sub-tropical climate was new to most of the selectors. Some experimented with wheat, barley, cotton, coffee, potatoes, or pumpkins, but success in maize growing established maize as the staple crop, although some measure of success was attained with arrowroot. Very little in the way of a local market existed, but a market in Sydney could be secured for river-grown maize, which yielded a speedy harvest, and which had better qualities for ocean transport than that provided by many other agricultural products that were too perishable to withstand the trials of the sea voyage offered by the available shipping.

The vagaries of the river bar, coupled with contrary weather conditions, resulted so often in “‘bar-bound” shipping that it is easily understandable that even the maize cargoes often suffered from deterioration.

THE FIRST PLANTINGS of maize were carried out in a very primitive fashion. The stump-littered, log-strewn condition of the ground did not permit of the orthodox method of tilling by the plough.

The farmer made his way in amongst the debris, and with a pointed stick made holes into which the seed grains were dropped. The richness of the virgin soil, and the fertilising value of the ash resultant from the “burning-off,” produced excellent plant growth, and before many weeks a luxuriant crop of waving corn cheered the heart of the farmer.

Farm crops grew well, so did weeds. Constant work was demanded for their eradication. Often the selectors were robbed of their harvest, owing to the depredations of bandicoots and cockatoos.

Whilst the farmer waited for the crop to mature, he had to grow other “snatch crops” of pumpkins, etc, for his own use, or as a medium for barter with local general traders. In truth, for the first few months the selector was extremely fortunate if he were able to produce sufficient for his own household needs.

Lucky was he who possessed some laying fowls. Tradesman were perforce obliged to accept trade by barter from many customers. Often a selector accepted outside employment that would not interfere with the residential conditions governing possession of his holding.

(To be continued.)

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