No./ 199.] 1S5 



stumps of these little trees are in the crown some two or three inches 

 in diameter, and immediately below the crown, or near the surface 

 of the ground, two or three lateral roots spread out and extend very 

 near the top of the ground. These lateral roots or branches, six or 

 eight inches from the stump, wlicn they are commonly cut off by the 

 hoe in grubbing, are not more than an inch and a half, sehlom two 

 inches thick, and these, with the perpendicular or top root of about 

 the same size, are the principal roots or obstruction to the plough ; the 

 fine fibrous branches and spongioles are very numerous, the ground, 

 when they are really in possession, being literally filled with small 

 roots for about eight inches deep, but which, with the exception of a 

 few of the larger ones, are all soft and spongy. 



The process of removing these by hand, by gruhhing,is as follows; 

 the tops of the little trees having been cut off and removed from the 

 ground, the tedious and toilsome work of grubbing begins : It is 

 performed with a mattock, or hoe with a blade 10 or 12 inches long, 

 by 5 or 6 inches wide, and armed with this instrument the laborer 

 steps up to the formidable scrub oak, and begins by cutting off the 

 large lateral roots about 6 or 8 inches from the crown or stump, 

 which is usually done by three or four heavy blows, and at each blow 

 an effort is made to pry up or elevate the stump. After having gone 

 around it in this manner, a heavy blow is then given to reach the 

 main perpendicular or tap root below, and separate that, which, when 

 done, the stump is taken by the hand, turned wholly out of the ground 

 ani thrown behind the operator. In this manner the w^hole surface 

 is gone over, taking up all these little stumps and roots singly by the 

 hand, and at a cost of $16 per acre for the labor of doing it. After 

 this operation the land must be plowed, which can then be done with 

 a common plow, such as Minor and Horton's, with a pair of horses ; 

 the stumps of any trees which may have been on the ground of any 

 size, are not removed, but are suffered to remain, the same as if no 

 grubbing had been performed. The small stumps and roots after 

 grubbing, are gathered up and earned off from the ground and com- 

 monally used for fuel, the more solid parts making an excellent fire. 



The quantity of these roots thus taken out of the ground is very 

 great ; a man who has cleared several acres recently by grubbing. 



