Clearing Trees the Easy Way

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 66, Issue 1, 15 January 1943, Page 42

Clearing Trees the Easy Way

Agriculture, Warkworth.

ANYONE who has tried digging out a tree stump knows just how arduous and exasperating this job can be. Although the main roots may be easily severed, the deeper tap roots are invariably difficult to get at and

inevitably there comes a time when, though every root within sight seems to have been cut, the stump still stubbornly refuses to be shifted. The tensile strength of roots is surprisingly high, and even a minor one can provide a stubborn

anchor unless considerable leverage is available. When the job can be tackled before the tree is felled, extraction, as shown in the accompanying illustrations, presents no difficulty. Using the tremendous leverage which the tree itself provides and suppiemen ti n g this with the increased strain provided by a pulley block, the work of extraction is relatively simple and can be

done with a minimum use of axe and spade. This method is particularly useful when clearing trees in restricted areas as in gardens, since the tree can be laid even against its natural lean, and the risk of damaging adjacent buildings or power lines is reduced to vanishing point.

—P. S. SYME,

Instructor in