My immediate goal is to rid the north and south pastures of tree stumps I don't want. I am leaving some stumps as I find the cattle like to scratch against stumps of a certain height to help get rid of their winter fur.
Last year I had thought that I cleared the stumps from the north and south pastures, but when the ash piles settled I found a few stumps in the north pasture did not completely burn down. Add in a few more stumps in each pasture I found over last summer that were right at ground level, and one stump the cattle broke off when rubbing against it. This last stump was now at ground level. I want the stumps to be at least several inches pr more below ground level. That way if I harrow the pastures I won't snag any stumps.
I found it helpful to dig around the stumps some to remove the dirt against the stump. This allows the stumps to dry a little more, and for air and burning material to go against the stump to better get it started burning. Instead of waiting until I burn the stumps I try to dig around the ones I came across and planned to burn.
That is not to say I haven't done more digging, I have. Sometimes I found I hadn't dug enough around the stump; sometimes I think the cattle last year partially filed the dirt back in. Finally a few gophers decided to use my stump hole as an entrance to their den. They then moved dirt around and usually put it against the stump. Grrr!
I have burnt 9 stumps this year. This is less than previous years but then I have had less time to burn. Four stumps in the north pasture, four in the middle pasture, and one in the south pasture.
Burning the stumps was also a way to get rid of some very moldy hay.
To get branches to add to the fire I used my pole saw. The previous years burning had cleared the branches on the ground and the lower dead branches on the nearby trees. I needed my pole saw to reach the higher dead branches.
By the end of the first day I broke the blade on the pole saw. After too much bending these past few years the blade finally broke off. I had to buy a replacement blade at Home Depot for $7.17. An odd price, but I was glad to have a new blade.
The next day I broke the handle on my hand saw. *sigh*
I guess you get the picture - I did a lot of sawing of branches.I also threw a wood pallet on each stump fire. The business around here want you to take the pallets so they don't have to haul them to the dump. And the pallets catch fire easily and burn hot.
In the old days people would toss old tires around the stumps to have the fire burn hot and long enough to have the stump catch fire. In these environmentally conscious days that is not done anymore. That is why people end up burning stumps numerous times before it "takes" and smolders until it is all burnt.
Of the six stumps I burnt the first day all but one stump completely burnt up the first time. Burning them last year, then clearing the dirt away from them last year allowed them to dry and be primed for burning. The one stump is still smoldering. This is the stump the cattle broke off and I hadn't gotten around to digging away the dirt until just before burning it.
I am not sure how the second day of burning will turn out. I had to dig some around the stumps, and one stump was a mixture of dirt and wood. These type of stumps usually take several burns as I had to chip away the dirt after each burn is finished. The second day's burning is still smoldering.
I also burned one anthill. I seem to burn one large anthill each year. I know of another large anthill but I am not sure if I will take time to burn that one.
All in all the stump burning went well. The grass is fairly green and only once did the fire want to burn away from the stump. I let it burn its course as there was a fair amount of dead grass and pine needles that wanted to be burnt.
The gophers weren't too thrilled with me being out in "their" pasture and they would chirp their warning sounds. Shut up already!
As dusk fell the second day one stump's fire could be seen from the corral. Several cattle sat and stared across the pasture at the fire. I wonder if they had remnants of memories from their ancestors as they saw the cowboy's campfires as they were being driven on the cattle trails?
The first day I skipped my morning shower as I figured I would quickly smell of smoke. I didn't. Guess my body order masked the smell? The second day I showered in the morning. But the end of the day I smelled of smoke. Yup, body order must be a smoke repellent.
I am tired. Burning stumps is more than lighting a match. After digging around the stump, I rake some dead grass and pine cones to provide an initial layer that is easy to start. Add to that moldy hay, a whole or often cut up pallet, then branches I had cut down and cut up in lengths to fit around or over the stump.
Adding to my weariness is I forget to take water and food with me. Five to seven hours later I am pretty tired. You'd think I'd learn after the first day, but the second day I had lunch and not just breakfast. I thought with lunch I had enough food and water to last me. Live and (eventually?) learn. With a refill of food and water I am ready for the next day.
You know, with as stiff and sore as I feel I should have bought the physical therapy table at the auction last Saturday. Even without someone giving me a massage, maybe just laying on the table would make me feel better.
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