62 Charcoal Burning. 
around the bush some distance above the ground, to give lever- 
age. Ifthe bush is not removed at the first pull, start the horses 
in the opposite direction. While the driver is unfastening the 
chain from the chaparral, the second man can place the other 
chain around another bush, and the one who gets through his 
work first should at once assist the other. In this way the 
horses are kept in constant employment, and neither of the men 
need lose a moment’s time. This work should be done when 
the ground is thoroughly wet. 
Where manzanita grows somewhat upright, as it does on 
the hills north of the bay, the same methods of extraction can be 
employed with it, first slashing off enough to allow adjusting the 
rope or chain a few feet above the ground. Where it grows 
lower, as, for example, on the hills of Santa Clara, the manzanita 
brush is gone over with a roller so as to break it down, and 
then the land is burned over. The roller should be of the ordi- 
nary farm pattern, but rigged with a tiller (header fashion) so 
that the horses can push the roller and walk over the flattened 
brush. The only object of the rolling is to smash the brush 
down so that it will burn readily. When the brush is got rid of 
in this way, the plow is trusted to get rid of the roots. The 
plow should be of the pattern known as “prairie breaker,” with- 
out coulter. Horses should be shod with a plate of sheet iron 
between the shoe and hoof to prevent snagging, and not less 
than four of them used. Much of the Santa Clara County vine 
belt was cleared in that way. Of course this method only an- 
swers for the lighter-rooted growths; tough-rooted chaparral, 
oak, holly, etc., must be grubbed out, unless the roots are snaked 
out by the tops, as has been described. ; 
Marketable Products of Clearing —Whether any money can 
be made from the results of clearing depends altogether upon 
local markets for wood and charcoal and the cost of transpor- 
tation to them. Trom clearings near large towns enough can 
be sometimes had to pay for the work and hauling, and along 
railways wood can be often shipped with profit. This can only 
be learned by local inquiries. 
Charcoal Buriung.—Charcoal can usually be sold to advan- 
tage, and wood can sometimes be profitably disposed of in this 
way when it can not be marketed for fuel. A considerable acre- 
age of unprofitable iruit trees has been disposed of in this way 
recently. Charcoal is made from most kinds of wood, and some- 
times stumps and large roots are charred. A simple process of 
charcoal burning is given by an experienced burner as follows:— 
To burn a pit of charcoal, the prime necessity is to perform the process 
of combustion with the least possible contact with air. Select a suitable 
place not too far from the dwelling, because 'he operation must be watched 
