18th Century Tree Cannon

In the 18th and 19th century, homesteaders were given acres of land with the condition that they clear the trees from a given number of acres within 7 years. The easiest method to remove large trees was with the use of a tree cannon. A hole was drilled into the heart of the tree. The cannon was filled with gun powder and driven into the hole with a wooden mallet. The cannon was fired with the use of a fuse long enough to allow the homesteader time to safely hide. The resulting explosion blew the tree into large splinters. The homesteader would wait for the shattered tree to dry out and then burn what remained. This device was used in later years to blow apart tree stumps.

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