The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1914-11-21
PREPARE GROUND
WITH DYNAMITE
sy Rowland HarwelI Of New Mexico
Experiment Station

i
In heavy above soils, such as re.
quire quite an excavation in order
10 secure proper development of the
young root system, 1t has been found
advantageous to explode small char.
ges or a low grade slow acting DIV
Mantle t2O per cent ammonia). at a
distance of from Is inches to SO in.
ches from the surface, thus forming
mole for the tree and at the same
time looSening the soil to greater
extent, both in surface area and in
depth, than is possible when holes
are spaded.
Inc charges must of necessity vary
with the condition of the soil. There
Is no rule of tumb" to be applied in
this case. The resistance offered by
the soil measures the quantity of
dynamite necessary; as does NE
depth at which it is placed. In gen.
eral, for the above mentioned depths
the charges vary from one quarter to
one half pound A little experience
and understanding Of what consti
tutes dynamited tree hole will
solve the problem. A few simple
experiments always repay the slight
additional cost.
An ideal tree hole, strange 20 say,
isn't a hole after all. Should the
operator use charge sufficiently
strong 10 blow the earth entirely out
from about the dynamite, he might
be embarrassed by the fact that
there would be little dirt left at a
convenient distance to replace about
the tree. Further, there would be
decided waste of energy in raising
| the earth to scattering distance.
Once the surface gives way, the eX.
banding gases slip from beneath the
soil particles and Join the atmosphere
where space is less contested. The
ideal hole is produced by charging In
such a manner as to raise the sur.
face soil to a height of four feet or
back in place. This soil, when fall.
ing back, will become caught at the
, surface OF the hole, and by giving II
few downward pushes with a spade
| hole large enough for the tree will
result and plenty of loose earth for
packing about the roots will be at
hand. In this manner a large radius
| of disturbed or SUBSIDIZED earth will
| be produced.
The method in some instances can
compete in cost with spade holes,
with the advantage Of much more
| soil being loosened. AS far as is
known, no harm results from the
| fumes remaining in the soil for sew.
eral hours after the. hole is made
| and the tree is planted.
In general, the cost will range from
six cents to twenty-seven cents per
tree hole, for dynamite, fuse and
caps. The labor cost also varies
with the soils from one cent per hole
to FIVE cents.
The holes for the charge are put
straight down. and are IL inch or
Q inches in diameter. A bar may be
driven down and pulled. A pipe can
be driven, its core of earth being re-
moved several times before the de-
sired depth is reached; or an earth
| auger can be used for this purpose
Generally. the later method is the
best.
In subsoiling or other purposes
the method is identical, except that
| the earth is not lifted so high In the
air, and the holes are so spaced that
all the soil of given area is loos
ened. This spacing varies from four
feet, zigzag, to ten feet. The condi'
lions OF the soil determines this, the
heavier clay soils requiring the clos
err spacing. The method is expens'
i've, and only to be used where
cheaper methods fail Utah Farmer