A more thorough explanation:

Definition: Assart is a historical term that refers to the act of clearing trees and bushes in a forest to make the land suitable for farming. This was considered a crime if done without permission. It can also refer to the piece of land that was cleared and made arable.

• John was caught assarting in the forest without a license and was fined heavily.
• The villagers assarted a piece of land to grow crops and vegetables.

These examples illustrate how assarting was a common practice in the past to make land suitable for farming. However, it was also a crime if done without permission from the authorities. The second example shows how assarting was used to create arable land for growing crops and vegetables.