RECLAIMING MUCK LAND 43 



attached high in the tree and a team of horses 

 or preferably a yoke of oxen on the other, the 

 tree will generally start and the balance of 

 the roots can be cut off as they are exposed. 

 Dynamite placed correctly under the base of 

 the tree will throw the tree down and the 

 stump with roots out of the ground. For 

 brush, a log chain with a ring in one end to 

 use in making a loop is good. Sometimes all 

 that is needed is to cut the brush with ax or 

 bush hook. 



If the trees are large enough, the logs may 

 be sawed and the balance, roots and trash, 

 hauled to a big pile and burned. Care should 

 be given not to light this pile when the 

 ground is dry, owing to the danger of setting 

 the muck on fire. The ground should be 

 thoroughly cleaned of small brush, and the 

 weeds and grass burned off if they are dead, 

 or mowed off and taken away if in the sum- 

 mer time. 



Drainage. The next point is that of 

 drainage. Often it is necessary to look to 

 the draining first, in order to start the work 

 of clearing. The draining of the land would 

 naturally be considered under at least three 

 headings: First, outlet, whether an outlet 

 is available or not; second, the source of the 



