The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-04
COST OF CLEARING REDWOOD
LANDS.

A correspondent asks about profit of clearing
redwood lands for farms and their productive
ness In regard to their productiyeness they
are always rich and will produce anything
which will grow in the climate in which they
are situated. The cost of clearing is best es-
timated by counting the stumps on an acre
and averaging their size The usual way OF
clearing redwood stumps is to bore under their
center with two-ineh auger. AT the bottom
of the hole explode half stick to a stick of
giant powder according to size of stump Into
the cavity thus produced pour from 10 and
so pounds of Judson powder and explode it,
If the proper amount of powder has been used
the result ought to be the complete SCATTERING
of the stump, the pieces of which should be
thrown clear out of the ground ready for haul
ing together and burned. The amount of pow
der above given would be by some considered
excessive, hut railroad builder desiring TO he
entirely rid OF redwood stump IL or II feet
in diameter would probably use 100 pounds of
Judson powder. This would entirely rid him
of the pieces. The amount required for land
clearing would depend upon the size of the
stump and the nature of the ground Very
hard ground requires less powder than soft
ground. Two to four pounds of Judson pow
der will usually throw out an oak stump
eighteen inches through
In blasting redwood stumps the writer has
used the amounts given above and noted no
waste OF force. 1t is well TO err on the side of
force, for an unsuccessful blast is not only
waste, but sometimes opens up the ground so
that II is hard to get new charge to take hold.
1t must have hard ground to lift against A
lew Trials Will give any one the necessary expe-
r1ence. The object of the preliminary charge
OF giant powder is to make cavity for the Ind
son powder and to pack the ground for it to lift
against. When the cavity is made the Judson
powder should be poured in through a tube to
get 1t all to the bottom and avoid waste A
piece OF 114-inch down spout" of suitable
length, which can be had at any tinshop,
Is very convenient for the purpose The hole
should be bored clear under the center OF the
stump. In springing the hole ii is not neees-
sary 10 lamp, as the giant-powder works down.
Whei the cavity is made, and the Judson pow
IN piece OF giant powder an inch or two long,
run IL down to the Judson powder, pour in dry
earth ana lamp, carefully st first, until the
mole is full; then light the fuse and clear out.
The costs depends on the number of stumps
per acre, their size, and the luck you have
hnd1ng your way under the center of the
stump. This may take fifteen minutes or half
happens to strike or miss rocks and roots.
The cost of powder may be estimated at 10
cents per pound for giant and cents FOR judi
son. Delivered in large lots IL win cost less.
The cost OF powder, then will be from 80 cents
to $3 per stump. besides the labor in blast
ing and of clearing the ground afterward,
which is very serious, but greatly facilitated by
using plenty OF powder, so that the stump may
be split into pieces of such manageable size
that one team can pull them together A great
redwood has an immense amount of timber
below ground, and the labor of clearing after
blasting is very serious. No estimate per acre
OF the cost of clearing redwood land can be
made, as all depends on the number of stumps.
II the labor is all hired 1t is likely to exceed
500.
The majority of redwood land is steep. Its