50 FRUIT-GROWING 



there was no salvage on this job. The expense 

 in this case ran very close to two hundred dol- 

 lars per acre, but when we had finished there 

 were no stumps and very few roots left in the 

 ground. Perhaps this might be taken as a 

 maximum cost in such operations, but it will 

 suggest that the cost of such work will vary 

 greatly according to the character of the stand- 

 ing timber. 



Another illustration I would like to offer at 

 this time is that of a tract of beech timber we 

 once cleared for orchard. The trees were very 

 large and fairly numerous. In blasting the 

 stumps it was difficult to get them out without 

 breaking them up very badly. If we secured a 

 good charge directly under the stump the usual 

 result was to crack the stump and bend the two 

 or more parts backward against the surface 

 roots. It was impossible to place a second 

 charge under such stumps and as a result the 

 shattered pieces had to be grubbed out by hand. 

 At that time we were using the ordinary fuse 

 for blasting, making it impractical to place more 

 than one shot under a stump. Later we pur- 

 chased an electric blasting outfit enabling us 

 to fire up to ten shots instantaneously. With 

 this method we can place ten small shots under 

 a stump if need be and when we push the but- 

 ton (at a safe distance), there is little more to 

 do except to pick up the pieces. 



