Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1911 — PLOWING WITH DYNAMITE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PLOWING WITH DYNAMITE

Bang, Bang! Wil) Resound Over the Farm as Gee-haw Once Did. In places where irrigating is carried on extensively, says the booklet "Increase the Crop,” got out by the Pennsylvania railroad, the ground sometimes becomes so saturated that the water level rises dose to the surface; This makes the land practically worthless for vegetation of any kind other than pasturage. If alkali exists in the soil or is deposited by irrigation no crops can be raised when the ground water reaches the level of the plant’s roots. In some parts of the country ridges or dikes are run at regular Intervals over all of the higher ground to keep thevthln surface soil from being washed away. Considerable time and labor are required to make these dikes as well as to keep them in shape, and they take up ground that should be bearing crops. On land of this kind drainage. Irrigation, dikes, late plowing and rotting seed could all be done away with if the subsoil or hardpan were properly broken up. There Is only one practical way to upturn and aerate these lower soils or to shatter hardpan, and that Is by blasting. Subsoil and hardpan can be plowed just as effectively with explosives as

[From “Increase the Crop.”] surface soil can be with a plow, and just as cheaply, too. for it is only necessary to do this subsoil plowing once in a number of years Blasting subsoil has been practiced for some years by a few progressive farmers in different parts of the country. These men have had wonderful results in the way of increased crops on land already under cultivation and in transforming into excellent growing land that which would have been worthless without-dynamite. It is only lately, however, that the benefits from plowing with dynamite have become generally recognized. 55he department of agriculture, the Various agricultural colleges and men prominently identified with farming in different parts of the country are all now making a careful study of this question in order to determine the strength, quantity and kind of explosives. the most effective way of rising them and the depth and spacing of the holes for best results. Farmers everywhere are experimenting on their own account. Many are already claiming that subsoil plowing with explosives will be a common custom in a few years and will represent millions of dollars in increased crops from lands already under cultivation and more millions from land now producing nothing but weeds and considered entirely worthless.

The man who provides him* self with everything new and useful for carrying on the farm work and leaves the household with implements that date back to pioneer days is not deserving of larger success.

GIANT_ CORN PRODUCED ON BLASTED GROUND.