The thought that naturally occurs to one is this. All the operations described may be very well, the cost may be low, and the effect good, but are they sufficient to compensate for the risks necessarily dependent upon the use of explosives? The doubt implied in that question, natural though it be, is based upon prejudice, with which we are all more or less afflicted. The art of making these explosive substances has been brought to such a pitch that with reasonable care there is no risk whatever. The greatest possible care is used in the factory to see that all explosives sent out are what they are meant to be, and that they can therefore be relied upon to behave according to programme and not to play any tricks. That is the first step, and what with competition between makers, Government inspection, and searching inquiry into the slightest accident, and the desire of each maker to keep up the credit of his name, it is safe to say that modern explosives may be relied upon to do their duty faithfully. The second step in the process of securing safety is that the powerful explosive, the one that does the work, is made very insensitive, so that it is really quite hard to explode it. With reasonable care, then, it will never go off by accident. On the other hand, the sensitive material, which is easy to "let off," is in very small quantities, so small that an accident with it would not, again with reasonable precautions, be a serious matter. Fuse, too, is very reliable nowadays. The man who lights the fuse may be absolutely sure that he will have that time to get to a place of safety which corresponds to the length of fuse which he employs. With electrical firing, too, it is quite easy to arrange that the final electrical connection shall not be made until all are at a safe distance, so that a premature explosion is impossible. In many of the cases described, the shock takes place almost entirely within the earth and there is very little debris thrown about. Indeed the only danger which is to be feared with these operations is about on a par with that which every farm hand runs from the kick of a horse. Any careful, trustworthy man could be quite safely taught to do this work, and with the assistance of a labourer he could do all that is necessary. Given a fair amount of intelligence, too, he would take but little teaching. Altogether there is no doubt that the use of explosives is going to have a marked effect upon farming operations in the near future. CHAPTER II MEASURING ELECTRICITY There are many people whose acquaintance with electricity consists mainly in paying the electric light bill. To such the instruments whereby electricity is measured will make a specially interesting appeal. Current is sold in Great Britain at so much per Board of Trade Unit. To state what that is needs a preliminary explanation of the other units employed in connection with electric currents.