Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-03-20
A Word In Season.
VALUABLE Uses Or DYNAMITE On THE FARM

VALUABLE Uses OF DYNAMITE On THE FARM
Mr.. Editor We constantly see articles
in the papers nowadays urging the younl
man to desert the city for the open, free
life of the farm, with its health-givinl
labors and pleasures. When you stop tC
consider, large majority of these same
young men know little, If anything. of what
they have before them. only looking at the
good old summer time down on the farm
side OF the question, Then when they
come up against the real thing they are
forced to face the question of disappoint-
ments many. and, perhaps. utter failure in
the end. II is because of the lack of this
soil knowledge. along with the rest of the
farm life, that causes many man to give
up in despair. In my opinion, this is why
farming today has not the charm 1t once
had for our fathers. Belonging as do to
the class Of "tillers of the soil" and know
ing something Of its labors and pleasures,
and having made it a study to lessen the
former and increase the latter, feel am
able to raise my voice and speak from my
experience, in the hope thereby that some
discouraged "tiller Of the soil" may gain
fresh hope, and. perhaps. the very khowl-
edge gained will change his clouds Of des-
pair to sunshine Of hope and good cheer.
One OF the greatest troubles in running
the farm is the question of labor and its
cost. Now, believe can point the way
whereby the farmer himself can make his
own efforts equal to two or three mems work,
and thus save that cost. Again, he can
raise better and larger crops at much less
cost than using expensive fertilizers, or the
slow process Of rejuvenating his wornout
soil by sowing clover. peas or any other
crop that will restore vitality. There is
no question Of the value of these same
crops and the great benefit to be derived
from them; but that is not everything, ii
may be seventeenth gained, but we of to-
day want the full measure" and then
some. So what about the other three
tenths | feel sure, in my own mind, that
can tell you Of that same three-tenths so
that you may save 1.-THE whole thing"
And you ask what 1t Is My answer Is
dynamite. And whyY First, we all know
that since the beginning of farming we
have tried to discover the best method for
deep blowing or sub-soiling from the an
Gent days, when stick with handle
was used to pillow with, down to the present
lay with its great sub-soil motor plows, con-
'idered by many to be the acme Of perfec-
ion, and they are perfect beyond doubt,
and yet, venture to say, in few years
hey. too, will be out Of date the same as
he stick pillow of old" which is used in
he far East.
What have we sought to accomplish 2
Simply deeper depth Of soil for greater root
greater moisture in order to
the heavy droughts that sweep
,ver our beautiful land every now and
hen, leaving blighted hopes and despair in
heir wake. Here Is where the latest dis
,overy. and. believe. the greatest bless
ng yet brought forth, to tighten the farm
RS burden comes In. And how do we do
II The process is simple. We use punch
BAR. that anyone can make with the aid of
his blacksmith. 1t is simply hve-foot
ength Of Id inch pipe. with a piece OF
Iteel welded In one end and sharpened to
4 dull point. an old hoe handle or stick.
made for the purpose to load the holes.
We are now ready. so we begin by punch
ng holes three feet deep and placing them
from ID to 20 feet each way, according to
soil conditions, whether hard clay or lighter
kind. Then you load your holes very care
fully with One-half stick of dynamite, with
cap and necessary length Of fuse attached
When all is ready you light your fuses,
which explode your charges. Result is,
you have your ground broken up to the
iepth that no pillow can ever hope TO at
.ain. and II this depth means more mois-
lure and more root expensiOn, 1t will not
lake you long to find out the Great value
here is in this method. This does not do
away with the time honOred pl0w," by
than tho v,lOK.g 1nau
away with the necessity of the cultivator
with the gases tens of thousands of para
sites, as well as the destructive mole.
But what about the farmer equaling two
or three other men. you ask The farmer
can. without assistance, dig his own bitches,
dig his own ponds or water holes, plant
more trees in one day, with the help Of
dynamite. than four men can planting with
the Old-time-spade process. He cannot
only throw his trees, stumps and all, but
split up the trees with the aid Of dynamite
better than the old maul-and-wedge way.
70 say nothing Of saving in backaches. In
Iact. there Is hardly anything about the
Iarm but what dynamate will do II quicker.
cheaper and more effectively than any
other process know Of or ever tried. AS
iii 0hdlAIDACs iuu du OItubiUI W DlOW VI
shoot q hole in order TO secure water for
my COW. bought rs cents worth of dy-
Mantle, punched six or eight holes In
,ircle. about four feet in diameter, and
Oaded them. When the blast was over,
had hole six feet deep in center and
Iourteen feet in diameter which next day
vas full Of water. figured that II would
nave cost me two mems labor for one day.
q Nx.,n lou I AtA ha t.fnrL In, Hffnax,
minutes by the watch.
had n favorite peach tree dying with
blight and placed charge about four feet
ieep under the center Of the tree Result
vas, new life and health, with two to four
eet Of new growth in one season.
Again, n friend came to me one day and
laid he had TO remove lot Of stumps and
rees, as he was building road. removed
he trees measuring from three to four feet
It ground level and from thirty TO sixty
eet high. had two men to help part Of
he time. the work being accomplished in
ess than three days at an average cost of
DO cents each. including labor. Here is
he point, any farmer can do the same
hing without help. only il will take little
more time than II took me. ! used the
iCiP DDSduoO Wuo httu wv
low much would II cost you, my reading
riend. to do this same work with the axe
md grubbihg process, or the stump puller,
ask3
You can break up any boulders II you
ave such EYE sores on your farm and
Use them for road building or foundation
work, with dynamite and without hired
lelp. You can dig more post holes and
yet the posts in a day than two men
With aueers and spades by simply using
wo lengths Of stick Of dynamite to
lole, and little more II the ground Is
Extra hard. and so II goes.
There are many more points could name.
,ut feel have said enough TO him who
reeds. and trust have been able In my
mall way TO point out how to cut of some
II the rough edges and enable you TO save
he dimes" which means better bank
recount. to say nothing Of avoiding sleep
ess nights over trying to make the books
balance"
Il. M. DUNCAN,
Bethesda, Md.
na.aL ne A Rnssaos no.la.a