UTILISATION OF ROOTS AND STUMPS. 



219 



ii. Uprooting Trees. 



When trees are uprooted (Fig. 14G) much of the stump is 

 obtained with the stem, in the same operation. The roots 

 are exposed by digging, and then the stem is thrown in 

 various ways, but in all of them a thorough exposure of the 

 roots is essential. If all the horizontal roots are severed, 

 the stem is attached to the ground by the taproot or main 

 roots only. If, as with spruce on shallow soil, there are only 







1 l<. Uproot in.L r :i tnr. (After I'.oppr.) 



horizontal roots, merely severing these sui'lices to fell the 

 tree ; but wherever there are strong deep roots which it would 

 be a most laborious operation to sever, the work is effected as 

 follows : A rope is fixed, as high up as possible, on one of the 

 main branches of the tree, and on that side of it towards 

 which the, tree is intended to fall; a number of men then tug 

 at this rope, and by alternately pulling and yielding, they 

 make the stem oscillate backwards and forwards. One man 

 is left at the base of the tree to cut through any roots which 

 may still resist, and to place poles under the base of the tree 

 as it rocks, and prevent its return to the vertical position. In 



