The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1911-05-05
Dynamite Helps ~ Missouri Farming.

Carthage, MO.-Production of forty
five bushels OF corn an acre where five
bushels had been the usual crop was
the result of an experiment with
dynamite on the Jasper county poor
farm last season. So promising Is the
method that a powder company has
offered to give enough powder to
carry on a five acre test with different
crops next season. Corn, wheat oats
and coWpeas will be grown on the
tract. Several Jasper county farmers
will make individual1 experiments.
To John Parker superintendent of
the farm and foreman of the county
experiment farm, operated under the
direction Of the State Agricultural
College, is due the credit Of the new
method of dealing with hardpan and
shooting life into sour, hard and wat
ertigIt soils
The Jasper county poor farm IS well
named. 1t must have been county
court Of practical jokers that set it
aside, for there Is not q poorer piece
Of ground in the country. 1t Is the
type of soil that is called"poor white"
and white trash" besides a few
unprintable names, by the men who
have tried to grow crops on it; fiat
farm, probably Of shale formation,
with a hard pan under it like a
rubber blanket.
''I was passing neighbor's house
one day" said Mr.. Parker, "and I
saw him draining a pond by boring
O hole in the bottom of it and putting
in stick of dynamite. 1t gave me
the idea, for 7 told myself that | had
q rfc ~, - ~
field where / was going to plant
corn, and / set to work to drain it,
To do this he bought an old-fash-
ioned inch and half auger, had the
shaft made longer by welding on a
piece of steel, obtained some dynamite,
caps and fuse and went to work. The
first hole was made four feet deep;
the one stick OF dynamite was put
in it and the dirt tampered around
the fuse with a broomstick
When the dynamite exploded it
made a raised spot, like a giant po-
tato hill, thirty feet across, but did
not even blow the fuse or make any
holes on top of the ground
The tape line showed the ground
cracked for fifteen feet from the holes
The rest OF an acre was treated in
this way, ,plowed and planted in corn.
The result was very satisfactory.
That particular acre was the lowest
part OF the field-too low to drain
All through the wet spring that acre
of ground was as dry as the rest.
Later in the summer, during drought,
II stayed greener than the rest of
TIE field, showing that the water was
stored below and was drawn I'D BY
capillary attraction to feed the corn.
When the corn was husked out the
acre which yielded only five bushels
yielded forty-five bushels.
Digging that Mr.. Parker has done
on the farm convinces him that the
soil Is exactly the kind to respond
to the treatment. The top soil is only
and a half of hardpan as tough as
is usually found and then a layer
OF gravel and clay that let's the water
down through.
THE breaking up * the hardpan
was Just what was needed" said Mt.
Parker. 1T let the water down and
gave the soil air to correct it's sour
ness and help the water below at a
time when It was needed. The result
was entirely satisfactory.
''The blasting required only a day
To do the work and so worth of sup
plies To put the holes thirty feet apart.
a total expense Of about So made the
difference between q good crop and
no crop at all"
The experiment came to general
notice when ten prize winning ears
of corn were exhibited at the county
corn show, bearing the label Grown
on dynamited hardpan."