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Show FARMING WITH DYNAMITE Explosions Break "Hardpan" and Conserve Season's Rainfall. State of Kansas Conductii.g Experiments Experi-ments on Suggestion of Former Governor Crawford Method Will Probably Be Success. Topeka, Kan. Dynamite farming may become a very common agricultural agricultu-ral method in Kansas and other middle mid-dle western states. The state of Kansas Kan-sas is working out some experiments with dynamite farming on the farm of Samuel J. Crawford, war governor of the state. Most of the farming sections of Kansas are underlaid with a soil foundation known as "hardpan." It is not so hard as stone, but it is harder than common soil, and the roots of plants cannot go through it. In some sections this hardpan appears close to the surface, and in other sections sec-tions it is down 20 to 50 feet. When at great depth the hardpan has no appreciable ap-preciable effect on crops. On Governor Crawford's farm the hardpan comes close to the surface, and as this condition Is the only one where the experiment is likely to prove successful, Governor Crawford gave the date the use of some of his ground for this year. "I have done some experimenting with hardpan and dynamite." said Governor Crawford the other day. "If this formation is close to the surface it forms a perfect floor and the moisture moist-ure cannot get down to the subsoil. "Roots of growing plants go down to the hardpan and can go no further, and when bad growing weather comes they curl up and die. If we break up the hardpan it stores the water as in a reservoir, and In dry weather this reservoir gives up its moisture to the crops." The state, through the agricultural department and the agricultural college col-lege took up the scheme of dynamiting dynami-ting the hardpan at Governor Crawford's Craw-ford's suggestion. The powder mills were asked for a low grade explosive, and they are turning out a dynamite for breaking up the hardpan at a cost of about $1.50 per acre. Early this spring a field was taken as the test field. Holes were drilled 25 feet apart and in rows 100 feet wide. The sticks of dynamite, containing con-taining 25 per cent, of nitrate ammonia ammo-nia powder, v were put down to a depth of three feet. 'Half the sticks were set off by a battery and half by fuses. The battery explosions seemed to be the best. The hardpan was thoroughly thorough-ly pulverized for six feet each side of the drill holes and large cracks ran for considerable distance in all directions direc-tions from the holes, showing that the explosions had broken out fissures through the hardpan. Around each hole a large reservoir was created where several hundred gallons of water wa-ter was stored during the spring rains for use in the dry summer months. Corn, oats, and other spring crops are being planted. Part of the field was not dynamited, and this is being planted also to demonstrate the efficiency effi-ciency of the new farming method.' It will show whether or not the dynamiting dynami-ting did any good. The rows were 100 feet apart, and if the crops are not as good in the middle between the rows, it will show that the dynamiting should be in narrower rows. Dr. William Hamm of Vienna was the discoverer of the dynamite method meth-od of farming. He has found that in Europe it is not necessary to treat the ground oftener than once in three years. The state agricultural college and the state agricultural department are making the experiments on Crawford's farm and the government agricultural experts are watching the experiments just as closely as the state. |