favored than our own in respect to climate. 
Wherever, for example, the weather is hab¬ 
itually so bad that the. farmer cannot readily 
make hay by drying his grass it is a great 
privilege to be able to preserve the grass by 
another method. But, in spite of the abundant 
sunshine of this country, there can be little 
question that it will he a great gain for Ameri¬ 
can agriculture when the process of souring, as 
applied to com fodder, pea vines. Lucerne, 
clover (on occasion), brewers' grains, apple 
pomace, sorghum refuse, and the like, comes 
to be everywhere clearly comprehended and 
practiced among us. Meauwlille, however, it 
is of the first importance that the essential 
simplicity of the process shall be kept clearly 
in view, and that no man shall be misled by 
the statements of enthusiasts—much less by 
buncombe. 
It is manifest on the face of the matter that 
the generality of American farmers cannot en¬ 
cumber themselves with costly appliances in 
this regard : and that there is no need of their 
doing so has been abundantly proved. The 
conditions essential to success in souring green 
fodder are merely that air aud water shall be 
excluded. The trench must be dog in a place 
where water cannot soak iuto it; the fodder 
must be packed* firmly aud carefully in the 
trench, and be kept closely covered with a 
nitro-glycerlne contained in the powder soiicu- 
fies or freezes at a temperature of about 48“ F., 
and when thus frozen it is unfit for blasting; 
it should therefore always be kept at a tempera¬ 
ture of not less than 50° F. This brings us to 
meution some necessary precautions 
If dynamite Bhould happen to freeze, do not 
attempt to melt it by heating it in a vessel or 
The accompanying figures are true illustra¬ 
tions of the power of the explosive and the 
effectiveness of its work. Figure 224 repre¬ 
sents an oak stump, about three feet in diam¬ 
eter, before the blast is inserted, and figure 
225 shows its appearance after the explosion. 
Large bowlders or rocks are also effectively 
so broken up that the fragments can be re- 
of food, flndiDg the materials from which the 
substance of the young plant is formed; and 
this being supplied freely, the plant grows 
vigorously, and its aerial growth is paralleled 
by its root growth in the soil. Here is every 
condition tor vigorous and healthy vegetation. 
The plant is able to procure Its supply to a 
larger extent than otherwise, even from soil 
panicles, should manure not be present, be¬ 
cause the roots have explored the soil in every 
direction, and for a long distance and are very 
strong aud active. But if manure is in the 
soil, these roots find it and the rapidity of 
growth goes on uninterruptedly to the expec¬ 
ted end—the harvest, because food is abun- 
say, 20 tons per acre, ibis win give nearly 
one pound oi manure to each square foot of 
land. But what farmer can put 20 tons of 
manure on hie land so that every foot shall 
get its equal jimmcl Not one. Only a few 
days ago t assisted at the planting of an acre 
of Hubbard squash on ground that received 
40 loads of manure spread broadcast and 
plowed lu, and there were many hills made 
about which no manure could be seeu within 
several inches. In such a case as this, without 
fertilizer or manure iu the hill the young 
plaut receives no food during its infancy when 
it needs the most careful feeding; and many 
plants or a crop will starve and perish before 
they cau reach the food that is beyond their 
grasp at the moment when it is most required. 
This seems to be the truth of this matter. 
Successful growers of roots, coru, and mar¬ 
ket vegetables, universally practice drill or 
hill fertilizing in addition to broadcast man¬ 
uring, and If one is questioned as to why he 
does this, he will tell you that he caunot raise 
profitable crops in any other way. If such 
exacting crops as these thrive by such a sys¬ 
tem of feeding, why should not wheat and 
small grains require the same management? 
I am sore they do, aud would never drill grain 
of any kin d without using a fertilizer attach¬ 
ment to drop some active stimulant to provide 
food for the first demands of the young plants. 
n. s. 
STUMP AFT ER BLASTING.—FIG. 226. 
le of this sort of | by baking it before the fire; when suddenly 
heated an explosion is almost certain to take 
place. Place it in a warm room and let it 
there remain till it becomes pliable. One may 
nut fire to it with a match with impunity and 
* - . . 4 *1_ t_k. t L t 
Some years ae;o we became familiar wim a 
case of this kind in Europe. A farmer owned 
a field thickly set with largo bowlders. Tbe 
land was valuable but the rocks interfered 
seriously with its cultivation. Tbe owner de¬ 
cided to blast them and we happened to wit¬ 
ness the operation. Holes varying from eight 
to sixteen inches in depth, according to the 
size and character of the rocks, were bored, 
and in each was placed the whole or a part of a 
dynamite cartridge iuto which the cap and 
fuse had been inserted; the holes were then 
carefully tamped with wet clay, aud when a 
number were thus prepared the operator igni¬ 
ted all the fuses, beginning at one end of the 
series, so that he was constantly running away 
from those first fired. The blasting proved a 
perfect success, aud the field was cleared at a 
nominal coBt 
When ft stump is to be removed by blasting, 
it is often most expedient to punch a hole with 
a crow-bar under it, especially if the soil is firm, 
and place the charge so that it will take effect 
near the center of the stump. The prevalent 
idea that giaut powder always strikes down¬ 
ward has no foundation in fact; it strikes in 
all directions with equal force. In adiusting 
the charge, whether it be in a stump or a bowl¬ 
der, take care that the cartridge reaches the 
bottom of the bore and that it is packed solid¬ 
ly. One end of the fuse is thrust into the 
cap, and the cap is then inserted in the cart¬ 
ridge. 
GIANT POWDER AND ITS USE ON THE 
FARM. 
The large number of inquiries we have re¬ 
ceived concerning this blasting material and itfe 
THE SO-CAI LED PROCESS OF ENSILAGE, 
PROFESSOR F. H. STOKER, 
I would like to add a few words In support 
of the very sensible protest of Mr. Henry 
Stewart, in the Rural of June 19, against a 
movement now current tending to an undue 
refinement of the well-known process of sour¬ 
ing green crops, which, since its Importation 
from Europe a few years ago, has commonly 
been called "ensilage" In the American news¬ 
papers. 
This process of fermentation la extremely 
valuable in that it enables the farmer to pre- 
When cartridge, cap and fuse are thus united 
STUMP BEFORE BLASTING 
to throw some light upon the subject and to 
answer inquiries in a general way, that have 
already been propounded, and to anticipate 
those that may be forthcoming. 
Giant powder and dynamite are synonymous 
terms, the former being the name most fre¬ 
quently used in the United State «, and the 
latter in Europe. It cousists of a Ind of sili- 
cious earth saturated with about three times 
its weight of nitro glycerine, and in appear¬ 
ance is not unlike damp Graham flour. It is 
generally recognized as the safest of all violent 
explosives; but. nevertheless, great care should 
be exercised in its use, and no person should 
iindp.rt.ake to blast With it before he is 
who may be desirous to clear uwuy svuu.pt- 
and rocks by the use of giant powder, should 
apply for information to some neighboring 
agent for the material, or to the manufac¬ 
turers. There are two kinds ol powder 
in the market, designated as No. 1 arid No. 2. 
No. 1 is employed for heavy work, being the 
most powerful, and costs $L.00 a pound. No. 
2 is less powerful, but quite efficient for the 
blasting of stumps, etc., and sells for fifty 
cents per pound. It is put up in cartridges 
eight inches iu length and of any diameter the 
work may require. The cartridges are ex¬ 
ploded by caps made for the purpose, and the 
cap is ignited by means of a fuse. 
serve, at small cost, green or wet forage wiiicu 
cannot be cheaply dried. It cannot be too 
strongly insisted that the chief merit of the 
process consists in permitting us to save with 
economy and certainty such fodders as cannot 
be dried except at the cost of much time and 
trouble. Naturally enough, the method has 
been most highly esteemed in countries less 
