The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1911-07-15

the afternoon so far as possible for
the removing of bark, getting the
fuel ready and fully preparing the
stumps all except the setting fire
to the kindling. Then fire early in
the morning in order that this first
fuel may become burned down to a
bed of Goals before night, and the
earth covering settled down to a po-
sition where there fs less danger Of
breaks in the cover. Then, If these
newly fire stumps are looked over as
late as possible before retiring for
the night, they take care of them
selves until the early morning with
a very small percentage of failures.
If a stump has been successfully
fred. about twenty-four hours after
the fire has been applied. white smoke
will be seen issuing from several
places around the stump At times
we have thought that the fire had not
caught some of the stumps, but upon
examination find considerable heat
there IF such stumps are left alone
for a day or two, the fire seems to
gradually gather force by slowly dry
ing out the wood, then begins to burn
quite rapidly. From that tirne on the
operator should visit the stumDs regu-
larly night and morning, dividing his
: time as evenly as possibly as it is
nuite essential that the stump be not
left too long at one time to care for
itself, as the fire burning under this
cover will gradually eat into the
stump and work its way from under
the covering. If allowed to go too
long in that condition the accumu-
lated heat is lost through the open
ing. We have found that the fires
usually burn better at night. The
incoming air is cooler and conse-
quently expands more when coming
in contact with the fire. thus stimu-
lating stronger draft with moe oxy-
gen and better burning
The work is very light, but exact
ing in its nature. Regular visits
must be made to each stump and
where the fire has gone beyond or
through the covering, it must be COW
cred over with more soil. It Is best
to cover these openings with dry, hot
earth from near the fire, replenishing
from the soil outside over the top of
this to keep the required thickness
of earth over the fire. This should
be kept as nearly as possible between
two and four inches, the depth de-
pending largely on the nature of the
soil and the method the operator
wishes to employ; that is, either to
burn rapidly and consume most of the
charcoal as fast as carbonized, or to
burn slowly nd preserve most of the
charcoal. The amount of this COW
ering regulates the speed of burning.
A fairly good guide eor the operator
is to watch the color of the smoke
issuing from or through the covering.
If the smoke is blue, moves upward
rapidly and the fire can be seen
through the cover, the carbon is be-
ing consumed too rapidly. This calls
for more cover. But if the smoke is
dense and white and moves slowly,
this indicates good work, the moisture
and gases being driven off without
actual burning of the charred wood,
which is the desired condition. Heavy
clay soil does not break up much,
but retains the form as shovelled on,
is not as good a non-conductOr as
soil that brcakc up into sraller
particles. hence a little more of this
heavy soil must be used for the same
speed of burning tnan would be nee
essary for the soil that breaks up
better. On the other hand. if the
cover disentegrates from the action
of the heat as sandy loan soils do,
there is tendency for this fine soil
to run in the fire before it Is well
established in the stump and smother
it. Also, these sandy loan soils,
which from their nature are inclined
to settle down closely together when
hot, are better conductors of heat
and conduct the heat away from the
stump instead Of conserving it and
radiating it back to the stump.
In the course Of few days the fire
will have progressed so that the
stump will be cut off about the top of
the earth covering and fall to one
side. If the proper care has been
given during the first few days of
burning, covering the fire as 1t pro-
gressed into the stump, there will be
but a small portion remaining to be
covered This should be completed as
soon as possible after the stump has
burned entirely off. From that time
on the care consists of regular visits
by the operator. AS before stated,
there are two distinct methods which
may be adopted-that of rather
heavy covering which is much slower,
but preserves the charcoal, and that
Of rapid burning, promoted by light
covering consuming the charcoal as
fast as possible. In the slow burn
ing, the soil Is heated less and is left
in better condition for agricultural
uses.
In few days more, the crown Of
the stump should be entirely burned
out. A little experience soon enables
the operator to Judge Of the progress
of the burning by the appearance.
The covering will settle down so
there will be quite noticeable de-
pressions with smoke Issuing from
them. The cold air from the outside
finds it way into the lower places,
bringing the full store of oxygen and
the fire burns faster, eating out still
greater spaces until there is at times
a considerable opening in the front
Of each of the roots the fire is follow
ing out into the soil. Encourage and
assist this burning by following up
the fire with the soil. II rapid burn
is desired, leave q very small air space
at the top Of the hole. II slow burn
is preferred and 1t Is desired to con-
tnk.