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The Ottawa Debris Plow and Scalper

Because most of the remaining planting sites on the Ottawa National Forest were brushy, full of half rotted virgin pine stumps, and littered with partly decayed fallen trees and logs, a debris plow was needed in front of the planting machine. At first a light hydraulic-operated bulldozer blade was attached to the International TD-9 tractor that pulled the Lowther tree planting machine. This performed fairly well but had some serious faults such as keeping the operator too busy raising and lowering the blade. A V-shaped front-end plow that floated on shoes was mounted with hydraulic cylinders on the TD-9 tractor. A scalped area for the trees was considered necessary. The Lowther scalpers were not satisfactory in the heavy clay soil because they plugged with clay, roots, and sod. However, it was decided to put a scalper on the new debris blade. About this time it was noticed that the trencher part of the planter did not readily sink deep enough into the heavy clay soil to insure proper planting depth. To remedy this situation a device in the form of a breaker knife was added to the scalper point.


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Author(s): Howard W. Schneider

Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Issue 28 (1957)