The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-05-01
PLANT TREES BY DYNAMITE
Honesdale Orchardists Set Example
for Other Progressive Farmers
Modern Method About One-half
the Cost of Old Way.


the Cost of Old Way.
1t was our pleasure Saturday after
noon to visit the Spring Hill Poultry
Farm of Messrs. A T. Bryant and j.
B. Robinson. The farm consists of
I fifteen acres and is located in Texas
township, just north of the borough
lines. AS we approached the road
way leading to the entrance of this
up-to-date farm our attention was at
| tracted by sharp shooting as If 1t
might have been target practice, but
after climbing up the side hill to
where these progressive farmers
/ were working, we discovered that
| they we're planting peach trees. They
| had no pick shovel or grubbing axe
! but were setting out yearlings at
/ the rate of one per minute and with
much more ease than father or
/ grandfather ever thought of doing.
! But how, our readers ask, did they
/ do it? We will tell you how and
hope that the method adopted by
! these gentlemen may be practiced
more extensively in the future by
! orchardists and farmers.
Dynamite was the agency used and
to our knowledge it is the first time
this powerful explosive has been
used in Wayne county or at least in
this section for preparing the soil for
transplanting trees. A. T. Bryant
had charge of the operation. He
measured off IS feet between the
avenues and l 5 feet between the
trees. At the end of every ] . feet
Mr.. Bryant forced a crowbar down
into the subsoil a distance of 10
inches into which a third of stick
of 80 % Du Pont dynamite was
dropped. The fuse was ignited and
after a series of charges had been
set off an inspection of the holes was
made. Mr., Bryant dropped the crow
bar into the holes made, and it sank
down a little over half its length
without any effort whatever. The
ground had become loosened in all
directions for several yards. The
blast not only breaks up the harden
ed ground but kills all insects and
grubs in the soil A tree planted in
the hole will be helped in it's growth.
1t gives the tree roots a better OPP
portunity to spread out than when
the hole is dug by hand. Ten trees
were planted in about as many min
utes After a tree is placed in the
hole, sod is drawn around it and
carefully packed down. Fertilizer
will be placed over the sod and dirt
, as a top dressing. The remaining
depression will serve as a pocket to
retain the rain.
: The Mountain Rose, Early Craw.
ford, Niagara and Ell Berta, all free
stone, comprise the early varieties
!, planted Messrs. Bryant and Rob
, inson, If their trees grow well, ex'
pect a crop in two seasons. They
have set out 500 trees and all have
been planted by means of dynamite
= An example of the great benefi
q derived from the use of explosives
e for excavating the holes in which
e young trees are to be planted, was
v recently brought to our attention b!
t a well-known fruit grower, who re
/. ported that he planted nine peacl
q trees a few years ago to determine
= positively whether anything was Il
= be gained by using dynamite. Thre,
@ of the trees were planted in holes b.
t drilling a two-inch auger three t
v four feet deep, and exploding
f charge of dynamite in the bottom
). the other six trees were planted il
holes of the regulation size by hand
" In three years the three trees whicl
! had been planted in the blaste'
t holes were strong and healthy, an,
+ produced between five and 81
IS bushels of very fine peaches; but tn
e other six trees, platned upon tn
IL same ground without blasting, Dor
n practically no peaches at all, bot
5, fruit and leaves having shrivelled u
l. and dropped off during the dry sea
e son.
In addition to the orchard end @
n their farm, Messrs. Bryant and Rot
Ia inson are raising chickens upon a
j. extensive scale. They have 600 lay
IS ing hens and about 900 chicks. A
IS chickens are White Leghorns. Ne
n York was a ready market for egg
t last winter and good prices were n
Of ceived for the product. The chicke
Lg house, 14x100 feet, is built o
as modern lines and faces the soutl
m Fine springs are located upon tn
It, farm and everything is kept in frs
w class shape.
le Before many years will have pas
ed Messrs. Bryant and Robinson wi
at be enjoying the fruits of their labo
Is They have set an example which a
tx progressive farmers ought to folloN
as II certainly would mean an increa!
is in the crop per acre and the farmt
81 who fails to realize this, and sti
is believes that he can get along
of the old way, will soon find himse
es hopelessly defeated.