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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[April 1, 1913. 



Farming By Dynamite. 



[A PAPKR KKAD AT THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL 



WHILE I have long suspected tlie possibilities of explosives 

 in connection witli agriculture, especially in the tropics, 

 it has been only during the last twelve months that I 

 have been able to satisfactorily demonstrate how very useful 

 dynamite, and the other "ites" can prove, when used with discre- 

 tion and by trained natives or Europeans. By their use both 

 time and money can be saved, and lietter work done, both 

 as regards the soil and the crops. 



As regards the handling of these hi.gh explosives by natives, 

 I would consider that any race or tribe which is intelligent enough 

 to be trained to tap rubber trees, or extract pulque from the 

 maguey plant, as is done under the direction of white supervisors. 



By Harold Hamcl Smith, Editor of "Tropical Life." 



RUBBER CONFERENCE. HEI.D IN NEW YORK, 1912.] 

 me say "right here," that every time I use the word dynamite, 



H.NROLD H.\MEL SmITH. 



could be trained to handle these explosives, drill the hules, and 

 pack in the cartridges under the same class of white directors, 

 as with the rubber tapping. 



I did intend to devote my paper to "Ruliber Seed Oil." a 

 subject to which I have given a considerable amount of attention 

 of late, but have chosen the question of "Farming by Dynamite" 

 instead, as it is more widespread and international in character, 

 and is of special interest to an Anglo-American Tropical 

 Congress. On account of the now widespread use of explosives 

 on cultivations, I would first state that if I do not include the 

 names of the leading centers which have lately been using or 

 experimenting with them for breaking up soils (some of the 

 farmers in the western states of America have, I understand, 

 regularly blasted their ground for twenty or thirty years past, 

 and obtained bumper crops thereby), nor mention the names 

 of all the leading journals that have been good enough to open 

 their columns to discuss the matter, it is not for want of apprecia- 

 tion on my part, of the important share that they have taken 

 in helping us to become "at home" with the use and handling 

 of explosives, but for lack of space and time at my disposal 

 and yours. I must, on the contrary, be far more brief than pleases 

 me, for this is a subject which, the more it is discussed, the 

 more one can realize what can be done with dynamite, and hence 

 the more one would like to say on its use. 



Dynamite or other explosives — and for the sake of brevity let 



1 mean to infer "or other explosive if more suitable" — can be 

 used with advantage in agricultural industries for the following 

 reasons : 



1. To break up hard or virgin soil to facilitate plougliing; 

 and especially to break up the under-crust, when present, which 

 no plough could penetrate, at any rate no plough used by the 

 average farmer or planter. 



2. To blast out for removal, boulders, or rocks, and especially 

 tree stumps, whereby not only is the risk of root disease removed, 

 but, what is of great importance, the ground is left in a state 

 to be easily and properly ploughed; which otherwise would be 

 impossible in a satisfactory manner, if the stumps or rocks are 

 left ill situ. 



3. For clearing the soil of pests, destroying ants' nests, or rab- 

 bit warrens, etc., etc., as well as for regenerating and aerating 

 hard or worn-out soils generally — as the sugar-lands on some 

 of the West Indian estates which are not ploughed, but only 

 hoed; i. e., the surface only scratched over, but the hard pan 

 sub-soil is left year after year, and so becomes water-logged and 

 airless; hence dangerous. 



4. For throwing up the soil for drains, especially deep gullies, 

 and facilitating its removal by ploughs or hand. 



5. For making holes for tree planting, and at the same time 

 loosening the soil, which is a great advantage; also for fence- 

 post holes, or for setting uprights for buildings, etc., in position. 



6. For well-boring, or well-torpedoing — i. e., for increasing 

 the flow from an artesian well by exploding a charge at the 

 bottom of a well, to widen the aperture, and break up the 

 ground, to let further supplies of water (or oil. if an oil-well) 

 come through. 



As time goes on. many other uses on the estates will no doubt 

 be found, but as I do not pretend to have an exhaustive knowl- 

 edge on the subject, I think I have said enough. Of course, 

 I do not pretend to touch on the use of explosives for mining, 

 since I speak only from the agriculturist's point of view; nor even 

 of their utility for removing large masses of rock or soil for 

 making estate roads, as the latter, although not uncommon, is too 

 big and dangerous a task for the average planter, and should not 

 be carried out without consulting an expert, one of whom now- 

 adays is to be found at all large centers, especially in the neigh- 

 borhood of mines. 



"It must not be thought that dynamite obviates the necessity 

 of top ploughing," very truly points out the "Queensland Agri- 

 cultural Journal." "Far from it. The plough must be used just 

 as much as ever. The only difference is, that the dynamite ex- 

 pends its disintegrating force in the sub-soil, which is never 

 touched by the plough, so that one is not merely planting the 

 crops in the same soil year after year," but can, by its use, enable 

 the crops to draw up their nutriment from below. Where clay 

 sub-soils form a water seal, the use of explosives, if . correctly 

 applied, breaks up the clay strata and so allows the accumulated 

 and stagnant water to pass through (at the same time the explo- 

 sion kills myriads of harmful lives), and dissolving the plant foods 

 in the lower, and hitherto inaccessible strata, liberates it in 

 such form that it can be drawn up by capillary attraction, and 

 pass through with the now non-stagnant water to be assimilated 

 by the crops. May I remind you here — as I reminded the readers 

 of my book on "Coco-nuts" — of the need of regular, adequate 

 supplies of water at all times, if you want good crops. Water is 

 necessary, and therefore should constantly be at the disposal of 

 the crops (provided, of course, if not in over supply), to convey 



