Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-10-17
Agricultural Help
Land with Dynamite.

When the Name Agricultural EXPERT
ment station came into the possession of
IIighmoor Farm ii contained Baldwin
orchard which had been neglected for
number of years and was in a very bad
shape As there We're many such or
chards in Maine it seemed wise to as
certain whether this orchard could or
could not be brought back. Because of
losses by fire, borers. and other causes,
there are in the neighborhood of 200
trees that need to be replaced and il is
planned TO reset Baldwin trees in these
misses. 1t was planned to prepare the
soil for the setting of the trees by the
use of explosives. Correspondence with
the manufacturers of explosives led to
the introduction of the following expert
! ments:
An acre and a half of land that has
| been in pasture for at least 20 years and
is fairly uniform was selected and laid
out into three plots, rods wide and 10
rods long. The land has gentle slope
towards the north and east. The soil is
the usual medium stony loan common
on Maine hills The suhsoil is of the
same general character as the soil
shading into fine. very resistent hard
pan containing both sand and clay. The
soil is quite retentive of moisture.
The third week in September 1912 the
dnlerent plots were prepared as follows:
The upper or southernmost plot, was
plowed and subsoil plowed. The middle
half acre was prepared by boring holes
from 26 to Sc inches deep in the soil and
discharging half pound stick of 20 per
cent dynamite in each of the holes
This plot was subsequently plowed The
third plot was prepared by blowing. 1t
is proposed to take the land that is thus
prepared and treat il all alike from this
point on, using an ordinary crop rota-
ton, and the same fertilizers will he
used and the same crops grown upon all
three plots. and records will be kept
of the yields. The rotation on this field
will probably be as follows: 19l3s pota-
toes: 1914, corn. 1915, seeded TO grass
with oats 1914, grass
The object of the experiment is to see
whether the original preparation of the
land by explosives and by subsoil plow-
ing will have effect upon the quality and
yield of the succeeding crops. and if so
how many years the effect can be no.
ticed
In the Baldwin orchard so or 40 trees
are to be selected that are as nearly
alike at the present time as is possi-
BILE to find These will be divided into
two plots The trees are set at a dis
lance of % feet apart. In the dynamite
plot, in the center of the squares be-
tween the trees three-fourths of stick
of dynamite will be exploded at the
depth of 80 to Sc inches. Clean culture
has been practiced on both plots for
10
subsequent treatment will be the same
upon both plots. Individual notes are
kept on every tree on Highmoor Farm
and it will be possible from these 20
tell in the course of one. two. three or
more years, whether the dynamite has
produced any noticeable effect upon the
growth of the trees and the yield of
fruit.
In the Ben Davis orchard No. ? there
are says where water stands in the
spring of the year. a hole seven and
one-half feet deep was bored and five
sticks of dynamite We're inserted and
exploded in one of these wet places. 1t
was thought that il might shatter the
very solid subsoil as to provide vertical
drainage Similar nearby wet spots Will
serve as check plots. This will be
watched with large amount OF inter-
est for if it should prove successful and
afford an outlet for the water it will be
an easy and inexpensive method of
draining such places.
As stated above about POO Baldwin APP
pie trees will be set in the Baldwin or
chard in the spring of 1912. The soil and
subsoil is very similar to that described
under the first experiment. The places
for planting most of these trees will be
prepared by exploding a stick of 20 per
cent. dynamite at a depth of about 30
inches. y number of trees will be set
as checks in ordinary spade-dug holes.
Clean cultivation. fertilization. spraying
and other treatment will be alike for all
The Individual tree records will make 1t
possible to accurately compare growth
on the differently prepared soil.
CHAS. d. WOODS, Director.
Orono, Maine, Oct. 16, 1910,