Recently I read about how professor Edelman perfected the
soil auger during the 2nd world war when he and some students were
hiding from the Nazis in a Dutch polder. To pass their time in hiding
they mapped the soils of their surroundings. I am doubtful how soil
mapping and hiding from an evil force go together, but grateful for the
optimised soil auger (still made in the Netherlands). Even in the best
of peacetime, people will come and ask what (on earth!) you are doing
when they spot you augering away.
