On our farm we had a large field that was originally cover with trees. My grandfather and his hired hand cleared the field with axes and crosscut saws. He then chained a log to the stumps and twisted them out of the ground with his team of horses. I can't even imagine doing it today with chain saws and a tractor to pull the stumps. I have plowed that field many times and there aren't any stumps left. Most people don't know the work that the old farmers put into their farms.
So true, it pains me so much when i drive by a field that no longer gets maintained. All i can think is it took someone YEARS to clear that in the first place.