720 1 he yournal of Forestry. 



" It is but fair to state that the ground on which the roots rested and 

 the roots themselves were not in the most favourable state for testing 

 the powerful effect of tonite. 



" We give our short experience so far as we have gone ; at the same 

 time we have no hesitation in saying that with a few more trials with 

 tonite in more favourable ground the result would be much greater. 



" The understated figures show a difference of about 15 per cent, in 

 favour of tonite : — 



To 8 roots blasting with tonite, and 24 hours' labour . . £0 18 9 



To 8 roots blasting with gunpowder, and 40 hours' labour .12 8 

 Showing a balance of 3s. lid. in favour of tonite upon 8 roots." 



This being a first experiment, it is even better than I expected, inas- 

 much as Mr. Geekie's men had had no previous experience, and the 

 roots of the tree being cut all round was against tonite. Had Mr. 

 G-. got his men to bore the tree after they cut the roots he would 

 have found much better results, or had he put the tonite under the tree 

 without cutting the roots, there would have been some resistance, which 

 is what tonite requires; as it was, all resistance was taken away, and the 

 consequence was, it took 24 hours' labour to break up eight roots, when 

 about one-half the time would have done it. As Mr. Geekie has several 

 hundred acres of land to clear, and is going to use tonite for the purpose, 

 he, and the intelligent young forester, will find that a few more trials will 

 enable them to effect a much greater saving than they did at the first 

 trial, although 15 per cent, on eight roots will be a good saving on an 

 acre of land. 



Forgetting the soft nature of the subsoil, I advised Mr. Geekie's men 

 to place the cartridges beneath the roots, and the tonite having a down- 

 ward tendency, wasted a good deal of its strength to no purpose : the fault 

 was clearly mine, the forester, Mr. McDonald, believing that by 

 cutting the roots all round it would facilitate their breaking up, which 

 should only have been done if the stumps had been bored; it would 

 then have broken them up and removed them from their beds at the 

 same time. 



Having written to S. Shellabeer, Esq., Lord Leicester's agent, asking 

 him his opinion of the best mode of breaking up roots with tonite, he also 

 kindly sent me the forester's letter as he received it. 



Fortunately, Mr. Shellabeer's men have had a little longer experience 

 with tonite, and the forester's intelligent letter will be read with interest 

 by your readers, especially those who are interested in clearing land of 

 tree roots. I give his letter verbatim. 



" Hollham, Norfolh, lUh January, 1878. 

 " SiE, — In compliance with your request in reference to my expe- 

 rience with tonite, I beg to say that I have now raised about 140 oak- 

 tree roots with it. I began by putting a charge under the roots as 

 recommended, but found that owing to the loose gravelly nature of the 

 Bubsoil here it was of little use. 



