Use of Dynamite for Agriculiural Purposes. 805 



of their bending to the axe. Ash was subject to fracture iu felling, and 

 he had a splinter of ash that had broken off in this way, in his own ex- 

 perience, 2 ft. 8 in. in length. The pleasantest timber to cut was Spanish 

 chestnut, because it came away so freely, the grain breaking easily. Yew 

 was the most horrible thing to cut of all forest trees. Of holly he had no 

 experience, beyond a specimen 20 iu. in diameter. 



A second oak, 3 ft. 1 in., was cut with equal facility ; then an elm ; and, 

 finally, the largest elm on the ground, a tough, gnarled trunk, 5 ft. across 

 the largest diameter, and 4 ft. in the smallest. From the stoker allowing 

 the steam to run down, a stoppage took place in the middle, but the actual 

 cutting time was about sixteen minutes. From a calculation of the area 

 of the cut in the trees that had been felled, and the times taken, it came 

 out that the machine cut at the rate of two superficial feet per minute, 

 on which Mr. Gladstone expressed the opinion that, as from his own 

 observation a man's rate of working would be the same area in an hour, the 

 machine then being tested did as much work, when cutting, in a minute 

 as a man in an hour. 



Use of Dynamite for Agricultural Purposes. 



A SERIES of very interesting experiments with dynamite took place 

 recently at Enville Hall, the seat of the Earl of Stamford and Warrington. 

 The earl and countess were present, with numerous visitors to witness the 

 experiments, which were conducted by Messrs. Johnson and Co., of Dudley, 

 agents for Nobel's Explosive Company. 



Since the introduction in 1871 of dynamite as a powerful blasting agent 

 it has been extensively used for agricultural purposes. Landowners and 

 farmers who have been bothered with huge boulder stones and tough roots 

 have been pleased to obtain the assistance of the new agent as a remedy 

 for removing them. The recent heavy gale, which seems to have swept in 

 a line throughout the country, has proved very destructive to estates thickly 

 timbered, uprooting some thousands of fine trees ; indeed, it is roughly 

 estimated that at least half a million, including oak, ash, elm, beech, poplar, 

 and lime, have been toppled over, and on one estate as many as 350 valuable 

 trees have been thrown down. Since the gale dynamite has been con- 

 tinually brought into action for the purpose of removing these obstacles 

 from several estates, amongst wiiich may be mentioned Aqualate Park, 

 Brewood Park, Wingfield Par];, Prestwood Park, Enville Park, and many 

 others. The high wind seems to have been so very severe in some parts 

 as to blow the trees down wholesale as it were, the root and its smaller 

 filjres with earthwork weighing some tons coming out of the ground in a 

 mass, thereby making it still more difficult to smash up, a greater quantity 

 of explosive being needed to complete the job. 



