110 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICL'LTURE 



from 18 to 60 inches in diameter at the 

 ground, for an average of $1.40 each, in- 

 eluding labor. From three to forty sticks 

 of 20 per cent nitro-glycerine powder were 

 used and the holes dug varied from 24 

 to 50 inches in depth. The cost ranged 

 from 35 cents to $2.S8 per stump. 



Old fir stumps are not quite so costly 

 to remove as green ones. Stumps five 

 years old were removed at an average 

 cost of $1.18 each. Some of these stumps 

 were as large as 76 inches in diameter 

 at the ground. 



Five-year-old cedar stumps in gravelly 

 soil come out for an average of $1.12. 

 Some of these stumps were 120 inches 

 across at the ground. Twenty-four sticks 

 of 20 per cent powder was the highest 

 charge used. 



Cottonwood stumps cost $1.90 on the av- 

 erage, some stumps costing as much as 

 $3.36 to remove. 



Old spruce stumps were removed for 

 $3.39 each and alder stumps for 40 cents. 

 The spruce and alder stumps were in 

 silt soils. 



Charges may be fired either by safety 

 fuse or electric battery, the latter method 

 being surer and safer as well as slightly 

 more economical. The charge is placed, 

 fired and tamped the same as when safety 

 fuse is used, a six-foot electric fuse being 



the best for general use. The connections 

 are made in such a way as to make a 

 continuous circuit of all fuses with the 

 battery, which should be placed at least 

 300 feet distant behind a tree or tall 

 stump, for safety. Insulated copper wires 

 are used for making connections and all 

 ends should be scraped bright before con- 

 nections are made. Tape should be used 

 for wrapping in damp weather or on wet 

 ground. The blasting machine may be 

 had of any supply house or is supplied 

 by the powder company. 



Stiim|) Pullers 



Stump pullers in Western Washington 

 are unsatisfactory as compared with dy- 

 namite. Two types have been in use — 

 that which is hitched to the top of the 

 stump, pulling it over laterally; the other 

 hitching under the roots and lifting it out 

 vertically. The failure of the latter is 

 largely due to the great amount of work 

 necessary in getting hitched up to the 

 stump and the frequent moves that have 

 to be made; a new "set up" being required 

 for each stump. 



For either of these machines large 

 stumps have to be cracked with a light 

 charge of dynamite. 



With stump pullers it costs on an aver- 

 age about $3 per stump to remove them. 



Fig. 7. Hercules Puller. 



