A single pass with the Rockland Rotoveyer leaves newly-cleared land level and free of rocks, roots and other debris to a depth of 12 in. according to Mel Shanks, vice president, Rockland Manufacturing, Bedford, Penn.

Said to be the first and only machine of its kind, the Rotoveyer works with a series of three beaters running in reverse, each progressively smaller and faster than the one before it.

The beaters churn the soil, carrying it and debris onto an inclined, steel screen conveyor. Debris is separated out and deposited in an 8 cubic-yard hopper that can hold up to 6,000 lbs. of trash.

"At first, nobody would believe me when I told them what it would do," says Joe Batten, Whiteville, N.C., who bought one of the first Rotoveyors sold in his state. "Now that they've seen it, they believe the Rotoveyer can clear an 8-ft. swath. It operates most efficiently at 7 to 8 in. deep. Clears 1 to 1 1/2 acres per hour. After a once-over operation, the land is ready for planting, according to Shanks.

The machine needs at least a 120 hp tractor to operate. It stands 10 ft. tall, 34 ft. long and weighs 13,000 lbs.