326 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 April, 1900. 
A SPADE ATTACHMENT. 
Our illustration shows a simple device for spades, known as the Hardy spa? 
attachment, which will lighten work considerably. The greatest strain 
using a spade is on the muscles of the back. The patent appliance illustra 
reduces the labour to a minimum through the change of position of ™ 
fulerum and the better disposition of the point of leverage. The stram® — 
thus very considerably modified. The appliance can be attached and detached 
at will, so that it may be used with a series of different spades. In digere 
with its aid the spade is made to raise its load automatically to the level of 
digger, and he merely has to empty his spade and continue digging wit a | 
excessive muscular exertion.— Leader. 
WHEAT BAG LIFTER. 
Mr Joun Kyient, of St. Mary’s, Lake Bolae, favours Lhe Leader with Be 
following particulars, which accompanied the photo. reproduced on this page: 
“Tam sending you a photo. of what I consider a most important labour-sivny 
implement. It is a bag lifter, and was sent to me by a friend, who is one of 
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largest wheatgrowers in the mallee. The ease, speed, and efficiency of oe 
simple-looking machine can only be realised when it is seen at work. It is one 
attached and easily removed. ‘To work it you hook a horse to the chain, # sf 
when he moves about three paces the bag is lifted. We have loaded 36 bags 
47 minutes by means of this fixture.”—Sydney Mui. 
A SIMPLE METHOD FOR THAWING DYNAMITE. 
Tue Oregon Agricultural College and Experiment Station (says the P acy 
Rural Press) has been doing some work recently in the blasting of soils we 
dynamite for the purpose of determining its effects upon the growth of fr b- 
trees, and to ascertain if it can be practically employed as a substitute for 8" 
soiling. In using this explosive they find that it sf sebes in a temperature 
about 52 degrees Fahr.; hence at this season of the year, when kept ‘They 
ordinary building without artificial heat, it remains in a frozen condition. 2 
were at first not a little concerned as to a safe method of thawing it for " 
but, acting upon a suggestion to bury it for a short while in fermenting aly 
manure, soon dispelled the spectre of a premature explosion which occasl0U®,- 
occurs during the process of thawing. ‘Uhis method so far has been quite §* 0 
factory. The plan is to bury the frozen dynamite in a pile of heated bh? 
