“You can’t save ’em. You got to put the fire in to clear your lands, and do it when it’s dry, or you can’t get a good burn; and if you leave any trees, the fire will roast the roots and kill ’em. Those trees of Captain Rhines’s wasn’t saved. His father set them out, and I’ve heard Uncle Isaac say people thought he was in his dotage for doing it.”
“They don’t think so now. I don’t see why you can’t pull the brush and other trees away from their roots.”
“I tell you, you can’t; for in a dry time the old leaves, moss, and the whole top of the ground will burn, or at any rate be hot enough to scald and kill the roots.”
“I don’t believe you ever tried very hard to save a tree, Joe.”
“I don’t care. I saw Seth Warren try to save some sugar maples, and he couldn’t.”
“Well, if ever I build a house on my place, I’ll save some, and a good many, too; see if I don’t.”
“We shall see. When is that happy time coming?”
“I don’t know, but hope it will be before you kill all the bears.”
“You and I ain’t much alike. You want to save all the bears and trees, and I want to use up both.”
“Joe, there’s one thing I wish you’d do for me.”