The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-08-13


prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agrculture)
Explosives can be used to advantage
in clearing most land. Either alone or
in combination with burning methods
or pullers, explosives, if used efficient
ly, will materially reduce the cost of
stumping.
Dynamite is means of rapid clear
ing, and when it is used there Is no
capital tied up in idle machinery after
the clearing is completed. If it is not
possible to reduce the acre cost for
Stumping machinery to a reasonable
figure. blasting is the most economical
method, except perhaps the burning
methods, to use in stamping small
tracts. If in doubt whether to use dyna-
mite alone in stumping it is advisable
to get 25 or 50-pound box and exper-
iment to find how much it requires to
blow oft some average stumps on the
tract. However, it is usually found
more economical to use dynamite than
to depend upon labor for doing the
work.
1t IS difficult to clear the earth from
the roots OF stumps in clay soil. Where
stumps are shot clear of the ground
there is less adhering earth than
where they are cracked and pulled.
Perhaps In clay soil it would be more
economical to shoot the stumps clear
Of the ground.
Cost of Explosives.
If explosives are bought in small
quantities the cost is rather high. To
reduce the cost it is recommended that
several farmers club together and~buy
in large quantities Careful, experil
enced persons can safely do the work
With high explosives, but no one should
ATTEMPTING use them until he thonbugh-
~ understands the best and safest
methods of handling. Various brands
of explosive require different methods
of handling, and full and detailed in
formation as to the best ways of using
them is absolutely essential. For this
reason, the reader is advised to study
with extreme care the instructions Is
sued by the manufacturer of the brand
| of explosive which he proposes to use
| If dynamite is to be handled in cold
weather, study very carefully the man.
ufacturers' instructions on thawine
dynamite. Many accidents have hap.
pened through ignorance or careless.
ness in thawing. The blasting caps
are much more sensitive than the dy
pr,off ke-Al -l I.
with great care. A cap crimper is an
| inexpensive tool, and its use may pre-
vent serious accidents.
Best Time to Blast.
| The best time to blast stumps Is
when the ground is saturated with wa
| ter. The explosive works most eff
GENTLY then because the gases result
ing from the explosion do not escape
through the spaces between the sol
particles.
An explosive containing q low per
centage Of nitroglycerin will do the
same work in wet soil as one contain
Ing higher percentage would do il
the same soil when dry. Dynamite
with 20 per cent of nitroglycerin OF
its equivalent is used almost exclusive
| ly on the Pacific coast. 1t could bt
used effectively for stumping opera
lions in manysother parts of the United
States, especially where the soil is
heavy. wet or where the stumps ar,
well decayed. Dynamite with 40 PEI
cent nitroglycerin is largely used in tn,
| oYrf1 Gov h1n1
and the lake states for white pine. Ii
many cases lower grade of explosiv,
could be profitably substituted TIL,
40 per cent grade should be used wher,
the soil is somewhat light and dry O
where the stumps are green. The g.
per cent grade of dynamite has beel
used with good success in blastin,
stumps in the porous coral soils O
southern Florida, in blasting stumps a
a dry time in sandy soil, and in blast
ing tough, green. hardwood stumps
The higher Observation-Disclosures ar
q likely to pack heavy soil If used whel
it is very wet. lsts
Roughly, the number sof pounds Q
fldynamite required to shoot a, sfunr
i clear aof the ground il the same a
) the square of the number OF feet 81
s. the. diameter of the stump at the Gu
OFF. For example, a 2-foot stump wi
require four pounds, and one 6 fee
; in diameter will require SO pound.
Often less will do the work, but O,
casionally more is required. All ia,
tors, such as kind and soundness {
: the stumps, and kind and condition G
e the SOIL influence the amount of explt
siye required for a stump of given sig