Evening star., 1915-03-07

ploWing" may be done at any time
during the present month: in many
cases the soil is dynamited in the
autumn. after the crops are removed.
and the deep subsoiling enables this
ground to absorb much of the rain and
melting snow of the entire winter
Wha> rs known as agricultural dyna-
mite is used in this operation Dyna-
mite, as most people know is made
OF nitroglycerin combined with some
absorbent substance such as Fuller's
earth The more nitroglycerin the
dynamite contains the more powerful
II is. of course. A highly powerful ex-
piosive is not desirable for agricul-
tural purposes. so the dynamite usually
used for this purpose is from Is TO
40 per cent
The method of using it is to sink
.h noIes IN the ground to depth OF
three or four feet using a punch bar
Tor inns purpose. The bar makes hole
very little larger than the diameter
OF stick of dynamite From q
quarter to half stick OF the ex-
plosive is used in each hole, the hole.
pelhs spaced about eight to ten feet
apart each way. The dynamite is to
oe carefully tamped down in the hole.
an ordinary slow-burning fuse and de-
tonating cap being used to expIode il.
Inc explosion makes no more noise
than a very duh, muffled atump": M
EARN Is thrown into the air. and the
L
the explosion. But the hard sub-soiI
IS broken up and shattered for a dis
lance OF five or six feet in all dtrec-
'ions from the hole. and made perme-
able, so that moisture-rains or melt
ing snows-instead of running off and
outlying the whole face of the garden
or neid. soaks into the soil, to be stored
there for plant utilization in time of
need. The deepest kind of subsoil plow-
ing can never get down more than a
foot to fifteen inches. Dynamite sub
soiling thoroughly breaks up the hard.
lmpermeable subsoil, or ''plow SOLE" to
the depth of four to six feet, and does
it at lower cost than that of the
foot-deep subsoil plowing. According
to bulletins of the Department of Agri-
culture. the effects of subsoiling bv
means of dynamite are noticeable the
very first season after the work is
done. and remain for period of at
least four or five years
Every gardener. whether his garden
is to be large or small. should make
provision right
Big Compost Heap now for start
Garden Necessity. ,ns hasn a So sompost pos,
mate can be placed on the value of a
big heap of rich. well rotted compost
in any kind of gardening operations.
Melons of all kinds can be grown to
perfection only by the use of liberal
quantities of compost. Tomatoes, lima
beans, string beans. sugar corn, cab
bages. eggplants in fact almost
every vegetable that grows in the gar
den-will reach a higher state of per-
fection by the liberal use OF such COM
post than in any other manner. ""
The beginnings of a compost heap, or
manure. If such material can be had
from a diary farm or a COW barn, so
much the better. Pile il in a spot
where it will be sheltered from the
rain. Then put into the heap all the
lawn clippings. all the dead leaves. ali
the pieces of sod or turf, all the weeds
cut or pulled during the whole spring
and summer. Fork the heap over
from time to time; add to it the 5crap
ings from the poultry houses: when the
pea vines cease bearing, pull them up
and add them to the compost heap. Do
not burn or otherwise waste any of the
leaves or other vegetable matter usual
ly disposed of in this manner, but add
them all to the heap. Moisten the
whole pile from time to time, IL it
seems to require moisture. During the
summer SOW the top and sides Of the
pile with cowpeas. forking them under
when they are in full blossom. Do not.
under any circumstances, sow rye on
the compost heap, as 1t will suck every
bit of moisture out and leave the heap
pile of dry. tindery punk. Any other
quick-growing green stun, however,
may be used in this manner, to be
forked under and mixed in.
A compost heap started this spring
will be of little or no use during the
coming gardening season. Next spring.
however, II Will be worth more than
many, many tines its quantity of fresh
stable manure or commercial fertilizer.
1t will contain all the fertilizing ele-
ments of the manure, all of the same
elements contained in the green stuff
forked into ii, all of the humuS-which
is simply decayed vegetable matter,
the same as leaf mold-of the weeds,
lawn clippings, leaves and growing
stuff that has gone into it, and all OF
these will be thoroughly decayed and
available Immediately for plant use. A
Shovelful of this compost in each hill
of lima beans, each cantaloupe hill, and
in the hole in which each tomato, egg
plant or cabbage plant is set will
bring results such as can be obtained
in no other way.