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  Necessary 
  Soil 
  Conditions 
  : 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  no 
  economy 
  nor 
  advantage 
  in 
  using 
  dynamite 
  in 
  a 
  soil 
  

   that 
  is 
  loose 
  and 
  sandy 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  ^three 
  or 
  four 
  feet. 
  The 
  weak- 
  

   ness 
  of 
  this 
  soil 
  is 
  that 
  it 
  allows 
  water 
  to 
  percolate 
  through 
  it 
  too 
  

   rapidly, 
  hence 
  dynamite 
  would 
  be 
  harmful 
  rather 
  than 
  helpful 
  

   under 
  such 
  conditions, 
  but 
  no 
  matter 
  how 
  loose 
  the 
  top 
  soil 
  or 
  

   plowed 
  soil 
  may 
  be, 
  if 
  it 
  is 
  underlaid 
  by 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  impervious 
  

   clay, 
  or 
  even 
  a 
  heavy 
  loam, 
  dynamiting 
  under 
  proper 
  conditions 
  

   \^^ll 
  certainly 
  increase 
  its 
  water-storing 
  capacity, 
  and 
  also 
  make 
  it 
  

   easier 
  for 
  the 
  roots 
  to 
  grow 
  downward 
  and 
  deep. 
  

  

  The 
  proper 
  conditions 
  referred 
  to 
  are 
  that 
  the 
  blasting 
  must 
  be 
  

   done 
  when 
  the 
  subsoil 
  is 
  relatively 
  dry, 
  otherwise 
  it 
  will 
  not 
  crack 
  

   or 
  pulverize. 
  Every 
  farmer 
  knows 
  the 
  disadvantage 
  of 
  plowing 
  

   wet 
  top 
  soil. 
  It 
  is 
  equally 
  disadvantageous 
  to 
  blast 
  a 
  wet 
  subsoil. 
  

   Of 
  course, 
  some 
  subsoils 
  are 
  always 
  in 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  damp 
  condi- 
  

   tion 
  and 
  never 
  get 
  thoroughly 
  dried 
  out, 
  but 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  safely 
  

   and 
  advantageously 
  blasted 
  when 
  they 
  are 
  in 
  their 
  dryest 
  condition. 
  

  

  AVater-logged 
  soil 
  should 
  never 
  be 
  blasted 
  except 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  

   of 
  ditching 
  it 
  or 
  tiling 
  it 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  get 
  it 
  into 
  a 
  proper 
  condition 
  for 
  

   blasting. 
  The 
  ditching 
  may 
  be 
  done 
  economically 
  and 
  quickly 
  with 
  

   dynamite, 
  and 
  in 
  many 
  cases 
  this 
  will 
  answer 
  just 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  

   more 
  expensive 
  tiling. 
  When 
  the 
  ditching 
  or 
  tiling 
  has 
  drained 
  

   this 
  subsoil, 
  it 
  may 
  then 
  be 
  safely 
  blasted. 
  

  

  Filling 
  the 
  Fot-Holes 
  : 
  

  

  In 
  any 
  heavy 
  soil 
  the 
  explosion 
  of 
  the 
  dynamite 
  tends 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  

   cavity 
  in 
  the 
  immediate 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  cartridge, 
  varying 
  from 
  

   one 
  to 
  two 
  feet 
  in 
  diameter. 
  The 
  heavier 
  or 
  the 
  wetter 
  the 
  subsoil, 
  

   the 
  larger 
  this 
  cavity 
  is 
  likely 
  to 
  be. 
  After 
  the 
  blast 
  the 
  top 
  soil 
  

   should 
  be 
  shoveled 
  out 
  and 
  laid 
  to 
  one 
  side; 
  next 
  shovel 
  out 
  the 
  

   subsoil 
  and 
  lay 
  it 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  hole 
  ; 
  continue 
  this 
  exca- 
  

   vation 
  until 
  the 
  pot-hole 
  is 
  reached, 
  then 
  be 
  careful 
  to 
  fill 
  this 
  hole 
  

   reasonably 
  tight 
  with 
  subsoil, 
  the 
  object 
  being 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  possi- 
  

   bility 
  of 
  soil 
  falling 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  roots 
  of 
  a 
  tree 
  after 
  planting, 
  

   and 
  leaving 
  it 
  suspended 
  in 
  the 
  air. 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  cause 
  of 
  the 
  death 
  

   of 
  trees 
  planted 
  in 
  dynamited 
  holes 
  which 
  some 
  unsuccessful 
  ex- 
  

   perimenters 
  report. 
  It 
  takes 
  a 
  little 
  time 
  to 
  fill 
  this 
  pot-hole, 
  but 
  

   the 
  many 
  advantages 
  of 
  planting 
  trees 
  properly 
  in 
  dynamited 
  holes 
  

   more 
  than 
  offset 
  this 
  extra 
  time 
  and 
  trouble 
  required 
  to 
  properly 
  

   prepare 
  the 
  hole. 
  

  

  