Trial of a Stump Extractor.

Manawatu Times, Volume VIII, Issue 379, 6 October 1883, Page 2

Trial of a Stump Extractor.

SUCCESSFUL RESULTS. (From the Maitland Mercury,) The expense and labor involved m the removal of timber from wild, uncultivated land have, m many instances, hindered agricultural settlement. On entering upon the occupation of the land, clearing is the first operation to b« performed, and the work has been attended with many diffi- > cutties. In effecting a clearance of r the timber, m many ca»es of no commercial value, the plan usually adopted has been to cut down the trees nearly to the level of the ground, and have the stumps burned. Frequently the stamps are left standing j for many- years to encumber the soil, so to speak, with their roots, besides giving the land an uusightly appearance, and leaving them m the way of the plough. The up* rooting of the timber has bsen found to be ah expensive process, and could only be carried on to any extent where much capi« tal was available We live m ah age of progress, and the last century has been Is* pecially remarkable for the invention and improvement of machines and implements suitable for use on farms. An instrument has been invented for uprooting stump?, and il appears to be admirably .adapted for this work. It is termed the Stump Extractor, and-: speoimens have recently been imported from New Zealand, whers the machine is patented, by Messrs E. P. Capper and Sons, West Maitland. We had the pleasure, with Mr Harry H. Capper of witnessing a trial of one of them on the Roto* estate about ten miles from West Maitland, the property of Mr L. <3. Eelman. The extractor is a very simple and ingenious contrivanoo, and should find much favor, as we believe it will, when its advantages are fully known. Attached to a large union screw, about five feet m length, which forms the centre piece, with | iron bar, which :?rves as a handle, is a, > chain jor rather a couple <of pieces of chain ! three-quarters ot an inch tbiok, with hooks |at each mS. One end o: the chain is passed round a stump, and the other portion round a second stump. A bar of iron,which is used as a' lever, is placed through a hole m "the centre of the screw. Two | men , at the lever, and .as the Bcrew, is tightened the earth around' the' stamp is loosened, and presently the stnmp oomts bodily "out of the ground. The screw is then relaxed and one end of the chain placed round another rtump, which is withdrawn m a similar manner. ' Of course the softer the seil the easier the work becomes. The extractor was on Tuesday b^ing „uaed on land under preparation for vine growing. We witnessed the removal of three large stumps by this means. 'The first was 3 feet 8 inches m circumference, and the other two a trifle smaller. One of the roots m the third stump was rather more than 8 feet 6 inches long. A steady strain was preserved, and all roots are taken up with the stnmps. The instrument is. » t very powerful one. The stumps appeared to be firmly embedded m the. gronnd, and, they were brought out very cleanly. : With their . withdrawal a large quantity of earth is dis> placed, but with a shovel handy the hole U soon .filled m, and there are, no evidence of disturbance of the eaTth anparenk. The time oooupied m romoval oi the stumps was on an average fifteen minutes each— nn operation that would involve the loss of ?»ve-. ral hours under the old process; and then I the work would not be done so : effectually | m many instances.. Before our reporter ar- | rived on the scene several stumps had been removed by means of the extractor, which so .far has given great \ satisfaction. Mr 3£elman thinks other, useful work can be performed by it, and that it -will be found to be a,very useful instrnment indeed m the fielctr We.suspeot that there will be a large demand for 'the extractors, now that their practical utiliUty has been so success' fully tested. The others imported by Messrs Capper and Sons have been sent*to Queens* land, where they have been favorably spoken of. . „