The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1911-08-17
DYNAMITING LAND
Experiments on Louisa and Spot
syIvania Lands.
EXPLOSIVE SHAKING UP THE SOIL

Delos d. Wakelee, who has investe'
in Louisa and Spotsylyania count
lands. is farming with the help o
dynamite. He is a Pennsylvania
! lie bought a farm In Spotsyl
yania and another In Louisa county
lie then bought three acres nea
Frcdericks Hall which he calls hi
demonstration patch Mr.. wake
lee had seen i'm the West a gooe
deal of farming with dynamite. liz
had had some experience with The
explosive. He proposed to shake M
an acre upon which to demonstrate
with alfalfa lie issued invitations
To farmers to see for themselves
About 100 of them. some accompan'
led by ladies. accepted.
The main work was done in sub
soiling A measured acre OF ground
was laid off and all the morn
ing two able-bodied workmen were
engaged In making holes In which
to insert the dynamite. For sub
soiling the dynamite is planted in
holes three feet deep. from ten to
fifteen feet apart. according to the
character Of the soil In this case
the holes were made fifteen feet
apart each way. with a crOwbaI
and two sledge hammers. two able
Bodied men spent about six hours
i'm making the holes An hour was
consumed by the TWO workmen In
preparing the dynamite. attaching
the fuses and the caps, and then II
took less than a half-hour TO insert
the dynamite cartridges in these
holes The insertion was simple
enough The cartridges. or half
cartridges. were easily put in the
holes and forced TO the bottom with
4 hoe helye. and then a little lamp
ing was done.
With the holes fifteen feet apart
each way. il took 1874 holes TO cover
an acre. and as only a half cart
ridge WAS required. It took forty
eight pounds OF dynamite to fill the
bill The next thing was to light the
fuses In each OF the 1874 holes. This
was rapidly done.
Subsoiling by dynamite, II Is said,
makes the crops drought-prooi.
Plows could do the same thing II
they could go deep enough, but
they can't
Just by way OF demonstration
Mrs. Wakelee made two little flow
er gardens One was on dynamited
ground and the other was made In
the usual spade and hoe way. The
eecds in both were planted May ID
All kinds Of flowers were seeded
but I'm the two plots the tube roses
and the gladlolus and the cosmas
predominatod In the dynamited
ground the tube roses and the glad
iOlCs are in full bloom, sweet and
lovely The cosmas measured 30
inches in height. In the other
place the drought had struck the
tube roses .gladiolus and almost kill
ed them. The rains OF the past
week had brought them to life, but
not a bloom was on them. and the
cOsmas In that plot measured less
than twelve inches in height.
What dynamite has done for the
flower il is claimed IL will do for
corn and for wheat and for melons
and for tobacco and for all OF the
other good things for which Virginia
lands are famous
The fuses were lighted and in a
and a half to two minutes
the explosions began | was sur
prised that there was so little noise.
There was at each explosion moth
ing more than a dull thud. slight
trcmor of the earth for ten feet
around. little rifle made in the
ground and that was all. The 1874
explosions were made rapidly. In 40
minutes after the first fuse was
lighted the entire acre had been
and an acre OF ground
had been loosened up so as 10 be
for twenty years to
come
The cost OF the dynamite used was
81 40. the caps Sl94. the fuse $500
and the two men who drilled the
holes $500. So II costs $l4.44 TO
subsoil this acre OF land for alfalfa,
and the work is done for years