ROUGH CONVERSION. 247 



freed from all defective portions and from sapwood. They 

 need have no fixed dimensions, hut should be as large as 

 possible and of whatever length is desirable. 



(e) Conversion of Stumps and Root-wood. 



The most laborious of all works in conversion of wood 

 is that of the stumps and roots. If the tree has been 

 uprooted, the roots are separated from the stem by means 

 of the saw, and they are then freed from the soil which 

 may be attached to them and reduced in size by means 

 of the wedge and axe, or by blasting them with powder or 

 dynamite. 



In separating the roots from uprooted trees, it some- 

 times happens, in easily cloven wood, that when the saw 

 has gone about half through the base of the stem, the 

 stump splits the stem owing to its weight and falls back 

 into its original hole. To prevent this disaster, a chain 

 may be wound round the stem below the saw-cut and. 

 tightened by driving in wedges, and the sturnp supported 

 by pieces of wood. 



i. ('ntirrrxiitn of SI inn fix Inj nit'cui* of Ordinary Tool*. 



Small stumps up to 3 inches across are not split. Those 

 from 3 C) inches are split lengthwise by means of the axe and 

 wedges, the wedges being usually placed on the sawn section, 

 and if it is also necessary to begin splitting from below as 

 well, always from the projection of a side-root, where the 

 stump is most easily cloven. If possible, the wood should be 

 split to the core, but this cannot be done in the case of thick 

 stumps of coarse fibre, from which pieces are split-off gradu- 

 ally from the circumference. This method of splitting is 

 effected more easily while the stump is still in the ground, 

 than after it has been extracted. Wooden wedges, holding 

 better than iron ones, are more serviceable in splitting stumps. 

 In order to tear apart the pieces more thoroughly, iron crow- 

 bars are used, and the ordinary screw-jack is very serviceable. 

 It has been stated already that machines may be used for 

 extracting stumps. 



