The Bad River news. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 19??-1912, 1911-11-30

craDle numOer OF troops at FOrC
Meade.
Senator Crawford of South Da-
kota, who has been at the Capital
part of the time, has been prosely-
tizing in the republican missions,
and Michigan has been one of the
fields of his recent labors, The
Senator is faithful and enthusi-
astic. advocate of Senator La
Toilette.
At the Agriculture Department
the experiments being conducted
in various portions of the country
under the direction of the agricul-
tural colleges of different states,
in farming with dynamite" are
being watched with great interest.
A preliminary report has just is
sued from the Census Department
showing that there are $50 great
fertillzing producing concerns in
the country, and that in 1909 the
value of their products was $103,-
100000. If the theory attached
to use of dynamite in agricultural
pursuits is found to be correct.
and the Du Pont Company is evil
IDENTIFY so sure of it that they are
spending large sums to prove their
claims, then all this great outlay
for fertilizers will be unnecessary.
1t is pointed out that in ordinary
blowing the same old soil is merely
turned over only a few iSches from
the surface year after year, and a
decrease in crops is only prevented
by rotation or expensive fertiliz-
ing. The theory of farming with
dynamite is that by planting sticks
of dynamite at regular intervals
of space, and exploding them, that
the underlying soil is disturbed to
a depth of several feet, making it
porous and capable of absorbing
plenty of water in rainy weather,
and this water, which is the prin
cipal plant food is drawn to the
top by the roots of the plant as
needed for it's growth, carrying
with it not only moisture but nee
essary soluble fertilizing elements.
In the cotton fields of the south,
production has been multiplied
several times over from blowing
with dynamite, while increases of
thirty-three percent are reported
from corn6elds. Melon patches
also show remarkably increased
yields. j. H. Hale, the great Or
chardist from Connecticut, has be.
come a convert to the scheme, and
has planted thousands of trees
with dynamite, with surprising re-
suits. Illustrations have been re-
ceived here showing how the use
of dynamite permits the roots of
fruit trees to take their natural
downward course into the lower
straJas of soil in which plenty of
plant food elements are available,
and the development of the trees
planted with dynamite, and with
out, in the same orchards demon
strates more than anything else
the success of the experiment.
Cornell University is authority for
the statement that trees properly
planted can absorb 60 percent of
the moisture surrounding them,
and where the underlying soil is
especially prepared fer this pur-
pose it is not strange that photo
graphs prove that trees set out in
land prepared by dynamite look
fully 100 percent more healthy,
and are much more productive in
three or four years, than the trees
set out in plots where cramped
roots prevent healthy growth. In
the wooded sections of the coun-
try the settlers discovered for
themselves many years ago that a
few sticks of dynamite could beat
all the patent stump pullers in the
universe. The Agricultural De-
partment was the last to be con-
vinced, but Mr.. Wilson's bureau
has finally acknowledged that there