The message
from Janet Baraclough contains these words:

Then just pull the tree over and the roots will come out on the end
of it...

Poor advice imho.

I've been felling trees professionally for nearly fifty years, so i do
know what I'm talking about. We've never had an accident yet, and we've
taken down possbly the two tallest trees in London.

I can assure you that it's perfectly good advice. Of course, you
wouldn't do it in a high wind, but spruces tend to grow straight up, and
are not a heavy tree in relation to their height even when fully grown.

You can see one small job at:

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

It was in the back garden of a council house, BTW.

As the roots are cut, they would no longer anchor
the weight of the (heavy) trunk branches and foliage, and the whole tree
might fall suddenly, in an unintended direction. You certainly don't
have enough oomph from a rope held from the ground, to influence that
direction. Trees weigh more than people.

Spruce trees fall over slowly. Unless considerable effort is applied you
could cut the roots and wait until the next gale. And the trunks are not
heavy, neither is the foliage.

Better to fell it leaving a stump 2 or 3 ft high. Then excavate round
the roots, severing them, and use the stump as a lever to get them out.

Now that *IS* bad advice: it's just making extra work for yourself: the
longer the lever, the easier it will come out.

--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk