A VALUABLE INVENTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 7, 24 September 1880, Page 2

A VALUABLE INVENTION.

Soma few months ago a description waa publ bed in our l'almerston eont«in»orai/of i n working of a "rout extraotor'Unvented by our respected fellow Hottlor, Mr J-tmoa Linton, of Pulmerston. We yesterday hud liioopporinnuyof nueiug tho-piitus of '-the maohiuo, which itr Linfcon has in several respects improved upon since our contemporary described it. The machine iB remarkable on account of its simplicity, and the wonder is that no one han hitherto thought of applying the same power .0 secure the same ends. A brief description will be of interest to our readers. We will suppose that in front of us lies two or three acres of bush land. The bash is felled and burnt off, and only the Btumps remain. Mr Linton's machine is intended to extract these from the groupdi Toa mireierea%T6Tfrb^gfiiSgrTb eiKßl thing to be done is to select a stamp stronger than thos9 around it to act as a centre of operations. A suitable one being found, fastened and wound iaiauaa- it;-- To this chain is hooked one or more iroa rods in ten,fopfc lengths, according- tj> ihedi!*ance frbnv tlUMain sttfmpi toithfe obQ. W Be extracted. Midway between the two stumps is a screw, something like an ordinary 1 ' sore w ■ j ac k t \ l with double action. A fixe 1 handle is turned a few limes to draw in the slack, and then a bar handle is attached, which increases the " purchase," the do-able actio» drawiug each stump inwards. It is hardly necemry to say that with the mighty -grip the machine - takes of the ■stumps, -the weaker has to succumb to*- the turning of the sorew. By this simple machine, ten or a dozen or-dinary-sized roots can be extracted from the ground in the bourse of an hour. The. steady and gradual pressure is a great advantage, as it prevents breakages of the Toftts, and thus, in-Chb majority of instances, the ground is ready for the plough after the " extractor " has done its work. By a multiplication of the rosls; mentioned, .the ifnachTne can be made to work from ono centre to.TBi % a vary lar<»o area. In fact, llr Linton informs us that the sizo he proposes having made will cleir from one centre an area of two chains in diametur. Tlie importance of this invention cannot at present be estimated. When the vust area of bush ■ country in New Zo;iland is remembered, and also the tremendous cost hitherto of •' stumping " -ground, it will be seen that 3lr i Anton's invention, which will enable ten acres to be stumped by a couple of men in the time one took previously, is one that will vastly enhance the value of the bush laud held by both .private . individuals, and the Groverument. L ln fuct, whan the increased value it will give 1o unsold blocks of bush land in the hands of the Government is remembered, it will be seeu that the disparity which has hither».o existed between th« value of bush land and open land will be greatly decreased, to the mauifest increase of the land revenue. We have no doubt Mr Liptau will receive the patent he is applying for, and thut he will reap ihe duo reward of his skill and practical sense in applying so successfully a simple rule of meohauies-to the worlt: of clearinyr bush country. We are convinced that if he weru to receive a shilling for every .stump his invention will bo the means of extracting from the ground during the next leu years h-3 would have his fortune doubly mado in that time. Mr Murray, of Wauganui, i3 to have the privilege of making the " root extractors," the cost of which are expected to be about £15 each. As Mr Linton remarked to us, "If a man had only two acres oi stumps to be extracted, it would pity him to buy one, comparing the cheapness of the machine's work with the ccst of mamvtl labour now."