Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-12-11
DxxAmarE rs.o~ ING.


Tearing Up the Dubsosf with nigA /
Grade ExpIosaves.
Suhsoiling with dynamite i the
latest advance in scientific agricul-
ture. d. u. Sloan, of Atlanta, has
invented method BY which the bard
ground may be broken up to depth
Of two or three feet at cost Of t25
an acre. This work, he claims, i
equal to the process Of trenchiDg
used BY market gardeners 70 loosen
the earth 70 : depth of two or three
feet. Ground prepared in this way
will absorb great deal Of watsr and
sustain vegetation luxuriantly through
: protracted drought. II will also
receive and assimilats several times
tho quantities Of fertilizers taken BY
the soil plowed to the usual depth.
and, enriched to its full capacity,
will sustain much heavier crops. Il
is possible in this way to make FIVE
bales of cotton or $50 bushels Of corn
to the acre. This has been demon
strated by the actual achievement OF
these results.
The great trouble herstofore has
been the enormous expense Of trench
| ing ground. As done by gardeners
the work costs about $500 an acre,
consequently but small patches are
so treated. Mr.. Sloan proposes to do
the same work for $25 an acre, and
so make extensive farming so eco
nomical that it will become the fash
ion, and the surface scratching will
be discarded.
| His plan in brief is to drill holes
two or three fee. deep and Eve feet
apart, making 1000 to the acre. In
each he puts an explosive, and after
tamping sets off the charge. When
properly arranged the explosive will
disturb the surface of the ground very
little, but will crack and pulverize it
in every direction to distance of
, two or three feet, according to the
depth and quantity of explosive used.
Yesterday afternoon at 8 O'Clock
c. L. Patterson and J. c. Thurman,
representing the Refauno Chemical
Company, arranged explosives in
twenty eight holes dug in Mr.. Sloan's
garden, in the rear Of his residence,
at Is East Mitchell street. The plat
was 25x40 feet and the holes were
two feet keep. In each was one
fourth of small-sized dynamite cart
ridge with about an ounce of JudsoI
powder. Attached to an electric fuse
these cartridges, planted two fee
deep, were exploded by means of
wire connecting with a battery
There was a dull, rumbling, smoth
cred roar, and the whole surface @
the ground appeared to be lifted tw
:" or three feet, while few small cloud
sailed above the housetops.
When the smoke cleared away
was found that the ground was bre
:. ken to the depth of thirty inches d
= = the points of explosion and broke
. sideways for part of the distanc
. between the holes. The plat was e:
timated one fortieth of an acre an
the cost of explosions in twenty-eigl
holes was rs cents, including tw
hours labor in drilling the holes.
- Mr.. Patterson said it was only
question of experiment to see lu
~ how much powder to use, and at wh
depth, two feet or more, to place
= to make it pulverize all the grour
between the holes He offers to tai
. contracts to break and pulverize t
ground two feet deep for s25 an acl
-. Mr.. Sloan has filed oaveat for
his patent and Mr.. Pat Calhoun, who
,o- now in Washington, will look aft
I'm the patenting of the invention.--A
eu lanta Constitution.