Farming with Dynamite 5 1 1 



them in such form that they 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 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, it is not in over-supply), to convey 

 the plant's food in soluble form up to the 

 crown. The quantity of such food assimilated 

 or digested by the plant is roughly proportional 

 to the amount of water which it absorbs pro- 

 vided of course, that the food is there to be 

 absorbed ; but the food alone is no use, without 

 the water it cannot pass up the trees or plants 

 and nourish them. 



" Farming by dynamite," wrote the (London) 

 World's Work in April (1912), " has gripped the 

 United States and is spreading through Canada 

 and Mexico like a prairie fire. The farmers 

 who have tried it, swear by it, and are upheld 

 by the leading authorities in agricultural 

 science." I can confirm this from the Tropics. 

 Since I first drew attention to the use of high 

 explosives in tropical and sub-tropical agri- 

 culture, by reviewing a book (" The Book 

 of High Explosives," published by Nobels' 

 Explosives Co., Ltd., of Glasgow), 1 have 

 received innumerable applications for copies 

 of the book and further information on the 

 subject, right up to the time of writing these 



