CLEARING SHRUBS AND GRAPE VINES 57 



one who gets through his work first should at once assist the other. 

 In this way the horses are kept in constant employment, and neither 

 of the men need lose a moment's time. This work should be done 

 when the ground is thoroughly wet. 



Another rig to snake brush and small trees is contrived in this 

 way : Use single and double block or shives with 1-in. diameter 

 rope. On the block you pull from (the double block) use two 10-ft. 

 chains with ring in one end and hook on other. Secure this to 

 a good anchor bush or to three or five of them, enough to hold. 

 Fasten them right down close to the ground so there is no leverage 

 on them. As soon as you have pulled all you can reach in a circle 

 around the anchor trees, take one anchor chain off, or start with 

 one anchor chain, then hook on other, take in big circle on single 

 block end. One to four chains can be used ; take two half-hitches 

 as high as possible, make first chain taut ; 2nd chain 2 ft. slack ; 3rd 

 chain 3 ft. slack, and so on so your horses are pulling one bush at 

 a time. Chains do not tie in hard knots when horses are pulling on 

 them, as ropes do. 



A Vine Puller. What is called a "vine puller," because it is 

 used to clear off old vineyard, is also available for shrub pulling. 

 Use two wagon wheels, long pole 4x6x12 pine with large strong 

 iron hook on one end. Bolt the hook on, allow the end with the hook 

 on to project over the axle 18 in. Bolt the pole down to axle. This 

 gives you great leverage. Roll right along on the short end over 

 the axle. Use a good five-eighths chain. Take double half-hitch 

 around bush ; raise the pole into air, take a short tie on bush ; start 

 the horse and out comes the bush. 



Roller and Plow. Where manzanita grows upright, as on hills 

 north of the bay, the same methods of extraction can be employed 

 with it, first slashing off enough to allow adjusting the rope or chain 

 a few feet above the ground. Where it grows lower, as, for exam- 

 ple, on the hills of Santa Clara, the manzanita brush is gone over 

 with a roller so as to break it down, and then the land is burned 

 over. The roller should be rigged with a tiller (header fashion) so 

 tjhat the horses can push the roller and walk over the flattened 

 brush. The only object of the rolling is to smash the brush down 

 so that it will burn readily. When the brush is got rid of in this 

 way, the breaking plow is trusted to get rid of the roots. Horses 

 should be shod with a plate of sheet iron between the shoe and hoof 

 to prevent snagging, and not less than four of them used. Much of 

 the Santa Clara county vine belt was cleared in that way. Of course 

 this method only answers for the lighter-rooted growths ; tough- 

 rooted chaparral, oak, holly, etc., must be grubbed out, unless the 

 roots are snaked out by the tops, as has been described. 



Clearing Old Vineyards. This is done on small areas by grub- 

 bing and snaking as has been prescribed for the larger shrubs. 

 Large vineyard clearings and removal of undesirable fruit trees are, 

 however, much more cheaply done by pulling one after another with 

 the tractor. Two concrete instances of procedure, after the land is 



