4. COST. Taking into consideration initial expense, labor, teams, 

 replacing broken machinery, and time wasted, Du Pont Red Cross 

 Dynamite is at least twice as economical as any other method yet 

 devised. 



Stump pullers arc costly. A good quality one-horse machine can- 

 not be secured for less than $100 to $125. One horse, a man, and a 

 boy are needed to operate it. The cables of this type, being rather 

 light, cannot be used for heavy work, which oftentimes necessitates the 

 services of a heavier machine. Such a one would cost from $175 to 

 SJ50 and would require a team and at least three men to work it. 

 The initial cost then is prohibitive to many farmers, for a machine 

 of this sort is not one which will be used year after year, like a 

 harvester. After the stumps are removed, it is no longer of use, and 

 you have doubtless seen, on more than one occasion, an old puller, 

 slowly being converted into iron rust, in some far off field corner. 

 Wages, cost of repairs, delays caused by the breakages, which inev- 

 itably occur, with resulting loss of time on the part of a crew of men, 

 [ill these join to bring the cost of operation up to a high figure. 



Large stumps have to be split with explosives and loosened for the 

 puller. This necessitates the handling of each piece separately, tak- 

 ing considerable time. A little Red Cross Dynamite put under that 

 stump would have entirely removed it and quicker too. The initial 

 cost of dynamite is trifling and it may be purchased as needed, so that 

 there is no depreciation in value. One man can blast stumps as well 

 as two, so that every farmer can do his own work if he wants to 

 without hiring extra men. 



Stump pulling machines are not furnished with sweep or bed- 

 pieces, which the farmer must make for himself. There is need for 

 strong cables, spreader chains, whifBetrees, hooks, and like details foi* 

 the strain upon these parts is enormous. He must have at hand 

 material to replace any of these when broken, and a set of axes and 

 mattocks to assist the machines. Where the ground contains stone or 

 gravel, the latter become rapidly dulled, and require frequent sharpen- 

 ings. In some parts of the South it is the custom to use both a yoke 

 of oxen and a team of mules with the machine, the first to do the 

 actual pulling, and the last to move the machine from place to place. 

 The blaster needs very few tools and they are easily carried. 



Because of the different amount of work done by dynamite and by 

 stump puller, in a given period of time, it is impossible to compare 

 the costs of each per day, at least directly. It is more feasible to com- 

 pare the cost per acre or per averaged-sized stump, because blasters 

 >eldom keep accurate accounts of the different items, and owners of 

 pullers are likewise neglectful ; it is not easy to get hold of any accurate 

 figures. We are able to furnish statistics as to the relative costs of the 

 two methods in the Southern Pine regions. We are indebted to the 

 Mississippi Agricultural Experiment Station, for the basis of the com- 

 putation. 



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