The Whitefish pilot. [volume] (Whitefish, Mont.) 1904-current, 1910-12-08
CHAR-P|T SYSTEM USED
TO REMOVE STUMPS

Naturally every one in Whitefish
is interested in some economical me-
thod of removing stumps from the
lands that we own. 1t has been de-
monstrated that we have some OF
the finest agriculture land in the
world, but the biggest proposition is
to clear off the numerous stumDs.
The method generally employed in
this locality is to blow them out
with dynamite, which has proved to
expensive. At Chehalis, Wash, the
country is like it is here, full of
pine stumps, only larger, and they
have made scientific tests on stump
removing and have found that what
they call the Char-Pit process, is
the cheapest and most effective me-
thod of removing stumps. We have
a great many Tamarac stumps here
that probably could not be burned
out by this method Oh account of
containing too much moisture, but
it should work well on the others.
The following data on the Char
Pit method of removing stumps is
collected from the scientific tests
made for the Citizens Club of Che
halls, Wash, by Prof. H. w. Sparks
Farm Demonstration of the Washing
ton State College, and by Mr.. Har-
ry Thompson, Expert, Office of Farl
Management, U. S. Department of
Agriculture, on logged off hill land
of Mr.. Henry Dupertuis, near Adna,
Wash, seven miles west of the city
of Chehalis, on September 5 to 10
inclusive, 1910.
This method applies economically
to stumps above one foot in dame
ter-the smaller stumps can be re-
moved quicker by pulling with horse
and capstan, or with donkey en-
CINE, where such power is available.
In tests of Char-Pitting, all bark
was removed from the stumps for
a height of about two feet above
the ground. Enough dry kindling
wood was gathered from the ground
and down logs to form a ring six
or eight inches in thickness entirely
around stumps where bark was re-
moved. After kindling was placed it
was closely covered with clods and
thick flakes of clay dug near the
stump with a farm shovel, only leav
ing a small space, about a foot wide
for igniting the kindling.
While the kindling wood on the
first stump was getting thoroughly
ignited, other stumps were similar
ly prepared and the kindling fired.
1. After the kindling wood got
thoroughly burning the one foot
opening was also covered with earth
to drive the fire around the entire
ring of the kindling like a charcoal
pit. When the rising smoke indicated
that the kindling around the stump
was we'll lighted, additional dirt was
placed closely around the stump to
keep all the heat inside the casing
of earth.
None of the heat escaping, the
fire grows hotter from the burning
stump and slowly destroys it.
Tall stumps will burn entirely off
just above the earth casing, and
such crowns can be readily burned
up in log heaps.
The bed of Goals where the crown
burned off should be covered close
ly with additional earth and all
roots that are exposed above the
ground should also be similarly COW
cred with from four to six inches
of earth, and the fire will follow
the roots to their ends clear below
blowing depth.
The first day of the tests two
men prepared and fired thirtytwC
large stumps. The second day they
examined the thirty-two burning
stumps and added dirt to the bank.
ing where necessary, and prepared
and fired twenty-six more stumps
the third day twenty-four stumps
and the fourth day, eighteen stumps
total of one hundred stumps Ev
cry day they visited the burning
stumps and prepared and firet
more stumps.
Data was computed ON the prepar
ing-firing and tending of on
hundred stumps kept burning con
tinuously at an average cost of les
than fifty cents per stump, only la
Dor and five cents worth of matche
being used. These one hundre,
stumps averaged 46 inches in dia
ameter by actual measurement a
the base.
These tests on Mr.. Dupertuis