The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-02-08
Ghe 4armer.
CLEARING OUT ROCKS.


Our readers arc already familiar with
the successful farming of Mr.. Starr, the
proprietor Of echo Farm, near Litch-
field, Conn. The following account Of his
experiments with Dynamite in removing
rocks and boulders is taken from the
proceedings of the Connecticut State
Board Of Agriculture"
II know but little about it [dynamitel
except from results shown on my fields.
A Mr.. Parmclee, who makes il his bust
ness to blow up rocks with dynamite, pass
ing my place, l asked him to experiment
in one of my fields, which | proposed to
clear Of rocks. There was a large number
Of such as could not be blasted with pow
der, and l asked him what he could do.
I said, II want you to experiment, and if
you satisfy me l viii let you work for a
day or two" l pointed to a rock 100
feet long, 81 feet wide, and . or 10 inches
thick; such rock as would be difficult to
blast with powder. l took out my watch,
and in "a minutes the rock was in atoms.
| directed him to another larger rock, .
shallow one, and he destroyed it in about
the same time. then set him at work
during the afternoon, aud | was so well
pleased with the result chat day that al
lowed him to work q days on my farm,
for which ! paid him $50. took care to
have as few Of my men with him as posi-
BILE, for fear Of accident. am free to say
that the sane number of men, judging
from the experience have had in blasting
for six years, could not have done in a
month what be did in q days. That an
swers the question as to whether it pays.
II is worth going miles to see that field
The stones were shattered and erumbled
to pieces, so that what was deemed very
difficult field to clear is now comparatively
an easy one, because can draw off the
loose stones much easier than rocks weigh
ing many tons.
''fhe action Of the dynamite was re-
markabls. A large white quartz rock,
very hard to drill, was next pulyerized by
dynamite. The first blast threw the large
rock from its bed to the surface. That
rather disappointed number of gentlemen
looking on. He then put cartridge by
the side of the rock, and adhered it to the
rock by two or three shoyclfuls Of mud.
Powder would have blown of the mud, but
the dynamite SO shattered the rock that |
could pick it to pieces with my hands.
The pieces weigh from pound and less to
ten pounds. The difference between DOW
der and dynamite is this: in blasting with
powder, you drill the rock, but with dyna-
mite you drill the ground. My rocks may
not be harder than other rocks, but they
are much harder than my land. The op-
orator makes hole under the rock, and
all he wants to resist that discharge is a
little water, which, if he can GET it under
meath, he does not want any earth to back
up. Ii is the instantaneous discharge of
this agent that skaters the rock. Powder
you must con6ne, but with dynamite the
discharge is so sudden that it skaters the
rock to pieces. The rocks we're not thrown
as far as BY powder Twas SO well pleased
with the result of the dynamite on this
field that | set the man to work on three
large rocks in another field, which had
thought of getting rid of by powder
Trenches were dug under those rocks by
my men, from ten to eleven feet in depth,
SO you may judge of the size of the rocks
The discharge was to take place at twelve
o'clock, and quite crowd assembled to
witness the scene. The rocks were thrown
but short distance, but were completely
shattered"
Mr.. Webb inquired, "Would the stone
be suitable for building wall?' Dir. Starr
replied, "a majority of the stone would
not be 1T for building wall, as the dyna-
mite destroys the stone to much greater
extent than the powder Does