220 FALLING AND CONVERSION OF TIMBER. 



this way, without any great amount of trouble, the tree can 

 be made to fall, tearing out at the same time all the stronger 

 roots. 



The forest-devil, Wohmann's thrust-pole and the common 

 screw-jack, may be used also to overturn trees by the roots. 

 The mode of using these machines has been explained already, 

 but in the case of the forest-devil, a stem or stump stronger 

 than the tree which is to be overturned must be at hand to be 

 fastened to the implement. 



All roots on the side where the tree is to fall must be cut 

 close to the stem in order to lighten the work, and it is a good 

 plan to place a round piece of wood under the falling stem, so 

 that by its own fall the latter may the more readily tear its 

 roots from the ground. [Coniferous trees 40 60 years old 

 can readily be uprooted by the Lobo up-rooter (p. 204). Tr.] 



iii. Advantages and Disadvantages of Uprooting. 



The advantage of utilising the stumps consists chiefly in the 

 reduced waste of wood this involves ; for, on the average, one- 

 fifth of the stem and branch-wood is contained in the stump. 

 Stump-wood affords very good fuel, especially where a pro- 

 tracted steady heat is required ; the demand for firewood is, 

 however, frequently so small that stump- wood has lost much 

 of its importance in this respect. In highly populous districts, 

 it may be the object of a forest servitude, or roots may be 

 extracted for cultivation of the ground. In other cases, stump- 

 wood is used for the horns of sledges, as knee-timber for ships 

 and boats, for ploughs, etc. Extracting stumps is also useful, 

 as by afterwards levelling the holes, the ground becomes 

 thoroughly cultivated and suitable for sowing ; for not only 

 is germination facilitated, but in dry soils the young seedling- 

 plants thrive best on the deeply worked soil of these holes, 

 provided caro is taken to protect them from weeds. [Oak- 

 standanls over coppice in Franco are always uprooted, us the 

 wood is thus loss liable to crack and a valuable piece at the 

 base of the log is saved. Tr.] Stumps arc frequently brood- 

 ing places for destructive insects, especially of the Pine- 

 weevil ; they also shelter mice, so that their removal is 



