The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-12-26
BATTLES WITH THE ROCKS.
Clearing the Farms In Rock Ridden
Sections.


Forty years ago and more number OF
farmers in ncrtherp Rhode leland be-
came possessed with the notion that
good farming required them to rid their
lands of rocks. The agricultural journals
| of that time encouraged the notion. They
don't 40 1t now. The modern crusa de is
against horns.
| All the farmers whom have In mind
| now rest from their labor hard, muscle
straining, perve-wearing, bone-wsarrying
labor. The tssks undertaken oy them
were easy at first, out the toll OF giants
was needed to complete them. A boy
could Degin them; in fact, the boys gen.
orally aid, by picking up the small. loose
stones on 'the surface of a rocky field.
Boys are quick to discover what is be-
yond their strength, and 1t is well that
they aree. The farmer and his full grown
helpers gathered stones too heavy Dor the
boys to handle. and, with hands worn
and bleeding, all took the second degree
in this kind OF stone masonry.
The next degree was more difficult, In
GLIDING the digging ont of all stones that
could not be lifted from the SOIL Now
the battle with the rocks was fairly bs-
gun. The resistance to be overcome was
that of dead weight, the attraction OF
| cohesion to mot her earth, ana the natural
| disposition Of a boulder to stay in hole
| in the ground. Long ana heavy iron
| bars, and longer wooden levers, were
used to pry out the stone. lite By little
| to the surface. IL the stone was big one,
the cavity from which it was to be ousied
half filed with mud and water, the
| fulcrums under the levers unstable and
everything slippery and treacherous, the
| work was neither safe nor pleasant.
Oxen were then kept on every farm,an
among the rocks their docility, strength
| anG perseverance, were most valuable.
With great rock partly raised, and some
| of its angles exposed, a msssiye chain
| would be fastened around its lower COR
| ners, and the stout oxen would turn
| IL over and out, IL oil worked
well. Three times out of four the chain
would slip off just at the turning point,
and the rock would tumtle back into the
hole with q sudden thud. 10 cause
levers to fly with dangerous forSe at such
| heads ss were in their reach was the
| bouider's retaliation for having its long
rest disturbed.
| field upon a stonebost, then and there
| invaria bly, called "drag." The large
bouldsrs were made the foundation of
stone walls, in which position they COW
| cred and obstructed nearly as much
| ground as before they were removed.
Sometimes, In goin down a slope, there
was danger that the drag might slip for
ward against the faithful oxen. TO pre-
vent such q misnsp the driver would
shaw" his oxen suddenly around. The
| jolt dislodges the stone; IL rolls down
the hillside, slowly at first. At every
revolution 1t gains momentum, until it
goes bounding and whirling downward
with frightful speed and force resistless.
What lies in its path in the valley below?
A herd of cows grszing, fio.K of sheep,
a group of children playing under a tree?
II seems as II the angry geDii imprisoned
In the rock and liberated for the nounce,
were bent on mischief.
A third order in the rocky field con-
sisted of rocks that cropped out SO as to
be an obstruction TO plow and seythe,
but were mainly underneath the surface.
Farmers possessed of great patience, and
who would have resented an insinuation
that they were afraid OF work, some
times undertook to sink rocks of this
description, that were too large to be
pried out with levers, or drawn ,ut by
oxen. To sink q rock may seem a very
simple matter, but it requires some
Judgment to accomplish 1t. At the brat
attempt of a novice, he will probably
misudge the relative size of the rock and
the excavation he makes to receive it.
Profanity affords small solacs when he
fuds, after the boulder tips over, that
some part OF it 1t still in tn way of the
plow. He must begin the job over again
or give ii up.
In sandy subsoile, liable to cave and let
the boulder topple suddenly over tefore
the digger expects it, caution and a long
handled spade are very necessary. More
than one poor fellow has been caught In
such terrible and fatal trap. But sirk-
ing rocks, when IL is done successfully,
has advantages. 1t costs nothing but
labor, and some formers used to prefer
the plan to any other, because, when the
rock was once sunk and covered up, II
was forever out of the way.
But this method OF sinking rocks, al
though perhaps the most sensible one,
was not in favor with the majority Of
farmers. II was slow and rlodding, and
there was no bang about IL. Having
osed down to & struggle with the giants
of the rocks, they wanted to see the big
boulders rent in pieces and ses the pieces
fly. Nobody can blame them. i doubt IL
the brayest soldiers could stand their
ground in a b title where rifle and cam
non. ornm and tife sortie and repulse,
made no sound.
There was man named Jerry Law
renee. As a "driller and blower" he
Yves the acknowledged champion over
savaraI fownshins. Tho days of which 4