United to this problem was that of working a small farm to its utmost capacity rather than half cultivation of a large one, which is difficult to handle from lack of time and labor and an unwise proposition for the East under the most favorable circumstances.

Ten acres of scraggy-looking woodland was purchased, sixty-eight miles from New York City on the north shore of Long Island.  The plot had a few second and third growth oak and chestnut trees and “sprouts” along the borders.  All else had been burned, and the center of the acreage exhibited the mangled and blackened remains of a once thrifty woodland.

We proceeded to choose as our helpers native Long Islanders whom we were desirous of allowing to work.  We succeeded by strenuous efforts in getting together a “gang” of both colored and white men to the stupendous number of eight.  They fell to work with a right good will, at first cutting down here and trimming up there as directed.  However, after giving them a fair trial, we decided that they must be replaced by Italians.  The question of housing the eighteen Italians soon came up.  Tents might be adopted or even the unsanitary “dugout” be allowed to mar the landscape.  A shanty was entirely too ugly to suit our tastes, and also expensive, and useless when the men were through with it.  Tents were too airy, as we knew the work would continue until freezing weather, and perhaps well into the winter.  We “passed” on the “dugout.”  The ideal was something that would be of use after the work of clearing was completed, and for that purpose we decided upon “condemned freight cars.”  They cost but ten dollars each, the railroad being glad to get rid of them.  We bought two, ultimately using one for a chicken house and the other as a barn.  In the meantime it was decided to remove the stumps by dynamite, as trying to yank them out by stump pullers or by mattock and plow was both slow and brutal.  The ordinary custom of allowing nature to work six years at the stumps and gradually eliminate them by decay was not to be thought of.

Dynamiter Kissam, a Long Island expert, arrived and set to work, using fuses for small stumps up to two feet in diameter.

With the advent of the Italians work began in earnest; they cleared out every useless tree, cutting cord wood where any could be obtained and burning the branches and charred trees as they went.  They also cleared out all underbrush thoroughly.

The dynamiter with his helper followed them up.  This is the most exciting and interesting part of clearing land by modern methods.

The dynamite is put up in half-pound sticks.  They are a little larger than an ordinary candle and are wrapped in heavy yellow paraffined paper.  One folded end of this paper is opened up and a hole made by a wooden skewer into the dynamite stick, which is plastic and resembles graham bread in color and consistency.

For magneto-battery work where several charges are required, a copper cap in which is a minute quantity of fulminate of mercury, and which is exploded by a spark, is attached to fine electric wires and sealed by sulphur.  This cap is placed in holes in the sticks of dynamite, and then securely tied by drawing string tightly around the paper which is raised to admit the cap.