The record., 1911-12-14

so tts'N'N'-
The name Of this new and power
ful farm hand is dynamite
bitches are dug, sIumps removed
post holes made, cellars excavaled
rocks broken up, swamp land re-
claimed and the process Of subsoii-
ing 50 much insisted upon by farm
ing experts, al by the aid Of tins
master magician, dynamite.
Quite naturally the fist thought
that arises in the tormulous mind
in regard to this new method is that
of its danger. The second Is the
cost of such operation. We will
reverse these two mental questions
and deal first with the cost, taking
one acre Of land as a basis from
which To work.
The cost Of the dynamite used to
snhsoil one acre ot land for alfalfa
was s.. so, The cap cost SL94, the
fuse S., and the two men who
drilled the holes asked $, for their
services. II cost exactly Sl4.44 to
subsoil one acre oil land, and the
work is done for 20 years
Now as TO the danger. Dyna-
mite as made for farm purposes can
not be made to explode until it
comes in contact with the more
highly explosive cap. The thing to
do is to keep the caps and the
dynamite far apart until the proper
time to bring them into contact, and
The correct method OF bringing them
IN contact is by the slow fuse,
which first explodes the cap, and
then the cap explodes the dynamite.
Whcn the fuse begins work it is
at least two minutes before its
explosive properties reach the cap,
and gives ample time for getting out
of the way # necessary, but in the
case of subsciling it is not necessary.
There is a slight sound, tremor
Of the earth for 10 feet, little flurries
of earllIke mole tracks are made in
the ground. That is all, aud in 40
minutes the entire acre was sub
soiled.
For subscribing the dynamite is
planted in holes three feet-deep and
from 10 TO IS apart, according to
the character of the soil. In the
case of an acre for alfalfa the holes
were made Is feet apart.
IN hour was consumed in pre-
parlng the dy Mantle, attaching the
fuses and the caps, and then ii took
lcss than half hour 70 insert the
dynamite cartridges in the holes
that il took two good workmen only
one morning to dig. The cartridges
or hah cartridges were easily put in
the holes, forced to the bottom
with a hoe handle, and then a little
tamping was done.
Only small charges of dynamite
are used, the holes are dnlled from
IS inches to ) feet deep. as near or
far apart as needed for different
plowing, and the results far surpass
that of the OLD time method of
mules and plows. The rows are
even, the gsupd upheaved for
considerably deeper than ordinary
custom, setting free ceriian earth
and gaseous elements much needed
and hitherto unattainable.
tis particularly good for rocky
sections of the country and clay
subsoil.
A dynamite cartridge put three
feet in the ground and properly
es sploded works to the north, east,
west and south toward China
and upward toward the stars.
1t will tear up the soii to q depth
of something like five feet from the
surface. and from a distance of
from 5 to 10 feet on either side.
One hundred and ninety four
explosions are calculated to an acre,
aad the earth over the entire acre is
shaken up to depth of five feet.
The crop or crops to be planted are
given all the advantages of sub
soiling deeper than any plow can
possibly reach, and once the land
has been so SUBSIDIZED it is drough-
proof for at least 20 years.
Land made infertile by hard clay,
shale, copglomerate or poor soil can
be siade into highly productive soil
by the dynamite blast
Barren trees in old cast-away or
chards are gwen a new lease on life
ty the looseping of the hard packed