from the hydraulic pump 27 through the pump discharge line 32 and into the pump discharge line nipple 66 through the valve housing 65 and the piston extension line nipple 67 and finally through the piston extension line 58 into the top plate 36 of the cylinder body 38 to effect downward extension of the piston 42 such that piston clamp 43 is located in close proximity to the top of the stake 57 be removed the free end of the chain 54 is then wrapped around the stake 57 and the piston 42 is reversed in operation by again manipulating the actuating lever 69 to cause hydraulic fluid to flow through the valve housing 65 and the piston return line nipple 68 and further through the piston return line 60 into the bottom plate 37 of the cylinder body 38 the hydraulic fluid returns to the hydraulic fluid reservoir 3 through the fluid return line 78 extending from the return line nipple 79 to the return line fitting 80 the retraction action of the piston 42 forces the plate fingers 7a and the base plate 7 downwardly against the ground as the stake 57 is extracted if the stake 57 is longer than the travel of the piston 42 in the hydraulic cylinder 35 the stake pulling apparatus 1 can be manipulated such that the head 57a of the stake 57 extends alongside the piston clamp 43 and the free end of the chain 54 again wrapped around the stake near the midpoint thereof the extraction procedure is then.