874 
runners put in their »Jaces. In that way each year 
you will get a crop from old and new’plants, while 
culture of the patch may he kept up indefinitely. 
There are. of course, a dozen or more methods of 
growing strawberries. They must he suited to the 
soil, the variety and other conditions. The plan 
briefly mentioned here is suggested for growing 
fancy berries in hills—like Marshalls or similar va¬ 
rieties. This has been a good season for those who 
had berries for sale. Prices have run high, as the 
crop was short. We have one record of a crate of 
superior Marshalls which sold at $32, or one dollar 
per quart. 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
requiring, about 65 lbs. of dynamite. 130 caps and 
the time of three men. The cost of the dynamite 
was $17.55, and of the caps $11.70. The men’s time 
was estimated at $*.40, together with one man at 
Removing Stumps in New Jersey 
C ONDITIONS KN« ^ENTERED.—Tn an effort to 
determine the best and most economical method 
by which stumps may be removed under ordinary 
farm conditions, three agencies were employed the 
past Spring on the farm of the writer in Burlington 
County. New Jersey, which may be of interest to 
farmers having problems of a similar nature. 'I he 
stumps in question were apple tree stumps ranging 
in diameter from 15 to 30 inches and which had 
been cut off in 1010 by the previous owner when 
approximately 50 years old. After the apple trees 
bad been cut down peach trees had been planted in 
the same field without removing the stumps. As 
these trees were now two years old and making a 
good growth, it was thought advisable by the 
writer to remove the apple stumps immediately. 
However, certain conditions entered into the prob¬ 
lem. While the soil was a light sandy 
loam nature, the stumps had been cut 
off practically level with the ground, 
making the pull considerably harder, 
as the principle of leverage could not 
be taken advantage of. and in addition 
made it difficult to secure a proper 
hold on the stump with cable or chain. 
Again, the young peach trees prevented 
the use of a capstan type of stump 
puller where horses are needed, and 
which necessitates a free circle of 20 
or 30 feet in diameter in order that 
the bftom or sweep may swing clear 
of the trees or stumps. 
1IORSE MACHINE,—A capstan type 
of machine where the power is supplied 
by horses was first used, but found 
to be impracticable. After removing 
four stumps this method was discarded 
for the reason given above w tli the 
fact that because of the low-cut stumps 
it was found necessary on the last 
stump pulled to use two teams to supply 
4 ho) necessary power. ^In 'removing 
these four stumps it required two men’s 
time and one team for 3*4 hours. Esti¬ 
mating man and horse labor at 40 cents 
per hour the total labor charge was 
$4.20 or $1.05 per stump. 
HAND MACHINE.—The machine 
used was a band power stump puller of 
the type shown in Fig. 340, which 
was loaned for this purpose, and with 
which it is guaranteed that two men 
can pull GO tons when two blocks are 
used with it. This machine worked 
well among the young trees and three 
men in seven hours removed 14 stumps 
with it, at a total cost of $8.40 for 
labor, or GO cents per stump. These 
stumps were removed with practically 
all the roots on a straight pull. If 
they had been cut off two to four feet 
above the ground, allowing more lever¬ 
age, the pull would have been easier 
and the number per day considerably increased. 
Tinder ordinary circumstances two men can readily 
remove stumps of this type with such a machine 
in 10 to 12 minutes’ pulling time. This machine 
alone weighs 150 lbs., and can easily be moved from 
place to place. The entire outfit, including 200 feet 
of cable in four pieces and two blocks, weighs about. 
575 lbs. 
DYNAMITE.—As it. was necessary to return the 
hand-power machine after one day's use it was de¬ 
cided to remove the remaining stumps with dynamite 
even at an additional cost. Using 40 per cent non- 
freezing dynamite it was found that, due to the loose 
soil conditions providing poor resistance, it was nec¬ 
essary to use an average of three sticks or approxi¬ 
mately 1% lbs. of dynamite to the stump, together 
with three electric blasting caps, as an electric blast¬ 
ing machine was used to explode the charge. By 
this method 45 stumps were removed in seven hours 
Garden Marker. Fig 3S/8 
$3 for an extra day cutting and removing remaining 
roots, making a total cost for removing the 45 stumps 
of $40.G5, or approximately 90 cents per stump. 
METHODS WITH EXPLOSIVE.—After using the 
dynamite for several hours, and becoming familiar 
with the best method for removing the stumps clean¬ 
ly. we were able to remove a stump on an average 
of every five or six minutes, including the time for 
putting the holes under the stump, placing the cart¬ 
ridges, tamping the soil over the cartridges, connect¬ 
.Tuly 2, 1021 
that the use of dynamite is t v ' .o„ nut most ex¬ 
pensive method, and oi rne greatest service with 
individual stumps so located as to make impractic¬ 
able the use of a hand or horse power stump puller, 
and where the number of stumps does not warrant 
the buying or hiring of such a machine. Less dyna¬ 
mite might be required if the soil was heavier, 
making fhe explosion more powerful due to the 
heavier soil offering greater resistance. The hand 
power puller can be operated in places where the 
horse machine will not work, and in addition does 
not require an opening in which to operate when 
the clearing is begun. Tn the above project the num¬ 
ber of stumps removed with the hand machine would 
have been increased had a root hook been used to 
secure a hold on the very low-cut stumps, thus 
saving time in hooking on to each stump, and by 
making the pull easier. The results of both stump 
pullers would have been more impressive had there 
been more stump left above the ground. The cost 
per stump with all the various methods, especially 
where dynamite was used, was necessarily high, but 
when the return from the inter-crop, which can be 
grown on the ground previously occupied by the 
stumps, is considered, the writer believes the ex¬ 
pense was not excessive. n. L. gitxam'. 
T 
A Hand Garden Marker 
HOUGH the horses are all in the field, you can 
mark your garden with the little marker shown, 
in Fig. 348. The long piece is of light strong wood, 
G ft. x 2 in. x 1 in. Two door hinges 
with removable bolts are used to fasten 
the long bar to the cultivator. A large 
wire is substituted for the pins in the 
hinges, and is pulled out when one 
wishes to take off the attachment. Bolts 
are better than nails or screws for 
holding the hinges and the short end 
pieces. Tn order to make a good plain 
mark, several short spikes are driven 
through holes in the end sticks, and 
a Ford piston (about 2% lbs.) is wired 
on. This simple tool yies the work 
well, and being light, is* not, at all hard 
to push. t. c. m’doweix. 
Michigan. 
A Hand Power Machine Anchored To One Stump and Pulling Another of Similar 
Size. Fig. 31/9 
Honoring a Stump By Dynamite Using An Electric Blasting Machine To Ex¬ 
plode the Charge. Fig. 350 
ing the wires and exploding the charge. In no case, 
however, should caution be sacrificed for speed, as 
e\en when one becomes experienced in handling 
dynamite he cannot be too careful. It is the writer’s 
opinion that there is less danger with dynamite when 
the electric blasting machine is used in exploding 
11i< charge than when the cartridges are exploded 
with common fuse. Especially is this true when 
time is taken to remove the wires from the blasting 
machine before going near the stump which is to 
be removed. It was also found that, with the light 
soil, the most effective results were obtained where 
the charges were placed directly under tliY 1 ' edge of 
the stump rather than under the center of t Vo stump. 
W hen the latter method was used the stiff! was 
split in two «r three sections, hut not cleanly removed 
from the hole, as was the case under the former plan. 
BEST METHOD DETERMINED BY CONDI¬ 
TIONS.—As a result of this work it appears 
under cover 
quires good 
Value of Standing Hay 
1. What is tho value of standing grass, 
and which is the better way to sell it; 
by the acre, standing, or by the ton. after 
the hay is made? 2. TTow much hay, by 
weight can be stored or placed in a space 
10x12 ft., and can be packed 10 ft. high? 
Massachusetts. f. e. c. 
HITS '"Rue will vary with different 
localities, and also with the local 
prices of good hay. For the past few 
years we have bought considerable 
standing grass. This year we shall buy 
nearly 10 acres in Northern New Jer¬ 
sey. The general plan is to estimate 
as closely as possible how much hay 
will be cut from a certain field. With 
that estimate in mind, we figure to pay 
about one-third of the local price for a 
ton of dry hay. It is figured that the 
cost of cutting, handling, putting in the 
barn and taking chances on the weath¬ 
er comes to about two-thirds of the 
selling price of hay in the barn. For 
instance, suppose Ave figure that a cer¬ 
tain field will cut 10 tons of well-cured 
hay. Suppose the local price of hay is 
$25 a ton. Ten tons of hay would be 
worth $250, and we should offer about 
$80 for this grass standing in the field, 
and take our chances on getting, it 
in good condition. Of course this re¬ 
judgment on. the part of the buyer. 
Some men become quite expert on estimating the 
yield of hay on a certain field. We have been able 
to make a fair estimate thus far on the hay that Ave 
have bought. On the whole, this seems a more sat¬ 
isfactory Avay than to buy by the ton after the hay 
has been cut and dried. The trouble with that plan 
is that there are usually no scales near the field. 
One load can be weighed and the others estimated, 
hut in our experience a good judge of standing grass 
can make a closer estimate before the hay is cut 
than he can on the size of the load. Some people 
held out for a. half-and-half price; that is, the man 
Avho cuts the grass to pay half the price that the hay 
is worth. Considering the chance from the weather, 
we think the one-tliird estimate is fairer to both 
parties. 2. Taking hay as it runs, there will he 
(Continued on page S7G) 
