CHAPTER IV 
CLEARING 
In many of the older orchards of British Columbia you 
will observe the short, blackened stumps of former forest 
trees remaining scattered amongst the live apple and 
other fruit-trees. These evidences of incomplete clearing 
are veritable eyesores to the man who loves his orchard. 
Nay, they are worse than eyesores; they are serious 
hindrances in the way of cultivation. Big rocks prevent 
you from ploughing straight along, but in recompense 
they do hold a small amount of moisture; but big 
tree-stumps not only block the path, they fail to give 
any sort of compensation whatever. On every account 
it is decidedly preferable to clear everything off the land 
in the first instance that you would not wish to retain 
there perpetually. A clean sweep costs very little more 
than a partly finished job, and it makes all your subse- 
quent operations so very much easier, so very much 
more satisfactory, and proportionally much cheaper. 
The methods of clearing are many. Some people use 
machinery—7.e., stump-pullers. Others rely upon chains 
and pulleys, using horses for their motive power. Others 
make dynamite and stumping- powder do the work. 
Others, again, employ fire; and yet others put their 
trust for the most part in the muscles God has given them 
in their own arms. 
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