58 CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



cleared of the top growth of arms and canes by chopping, may 

 be given : 



Mr. I. D. Cox of Sonoma county pulled seven acres of roots a 

 day with a tractor and two men nearly as fast as the tractor travels 

 in low gear. Two chains are hooked to the tractor, one man to 

 each pulling two rows per trip. The end of the chain is fastened 

 to a five-foot iron rod about seven inches from its end. While the 

 chain is still slack, the man pokes the short end of a rod around a 

 vine and catches it over the chain while the tractor pulls out the 

 vine. Then he drops the stump quickly and hooks onto the next one. 



Mr. I. T. Onstott of Sutter county used a 45-horsepower tractor 

 and a "digger" which looks something like a nursery tree digger, 

 having a U iron fixed to a sled of 4xl2's so its cross bar, shod with 

 a cutting knife, runs deep enough underground to cut the roots 

 below plow depth. A hook or "gopher" follows the cutting edge so 

 that as it slides under the stumps it raises them out of the subsoil. 

 After chopping the stumps off, a furrow was plowed each side of 

 them, the tractor digger lifted them loose, and they were easily 

 picked out and thrown onto wagons. 



Marketable Products of Clearing. Whether any money can be 

 made from the results of clearing depends altogether upon local 

 markets for wood and charcoal, and the cost of transportation to 

 them. From clearings near large towns enough can be sometimes 

 had to pay for the work and hauling, and along railways wood can 

 often be shipped with profit. This can be learned by local inquiries. 



Charcoal Burning. Charcoal can usually be sold to advantage, 

 and wood can sometimes be profitably disposed of in this way when 

 it cannot be marketed for fuel. A considerable acreage of unprofit- 

 able fruit trees has been occasionally disposed of in this way. Char- 

 coal is made from most kinds of wood, and sometimes stumps and 

 large roots are charred. A simple process of charcoal burning is 

 given by an experienced burner, as follows : 



To burn a pit of charcoal, the prime necessity is to perform the process 

 of combustion with the least possible contact with air. Select a suitable 

 place not too far from the dwelling, because the operation must be watched 

 from time to time by night as well as by day. It is not necessary to dig 

 much of a "pit" in the ground. Choose hard limbs of pine, spruce or what- 

 ever wood is most available of that kind. Dry, dead limbs, if not decayed, 

 take for choice. Set them up wigwam fashion, close together, fitting them 

 as well as they will allow, the apex forming the chimney. Be careful to 

 keep the chimney free, because the fire should be there applied to brisk 

 "kindling" as far down as possible. Build round and round, taking the pre- 

 caution to lay three or four straight pieces, three or four inches in diameter, 

 along the ground from the outside to the center. These may have to be 

 withdrawn to promote the draught. 



The wood all being in place it is now required to cover it thoroughly. 

 In the absence of turf or sods, it must be thatched with leafy green boughs, 

 or anything that will prevent the earth or dirt that is now neaped on from 

 running through. Pack this soil covering carefully, exclude air as far as 

 possible, except when the port-holes referred to near the ground are needed. 

 The direction of the wind will determine which ones are to be opened. When 

 the fire after a few hours more or less, according to the materials has 

 got a good hold, close also the chimney. Visit the pit regularly night and 

 day; lessen or increase the draught as may seem needed; and in a week or 



