The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1872-12-21
Agricultural.
FEED TIE IND.

The most egregious fool who lives on
the earth would not expect to get good
work out of his horse or that he would
live very long without being fed. yet
thousands of farmers are year after year
drawing strength from their land, and
do not furnish it any nourishment in re-
turn. Land can no more stand such
treatment than can the horse. They
viii admit that if they expect to get
good milk from their cows they must
feed them, bat nothing is further from
their thoughts than that they should
feed the soil 10 enable II 70 Weld large
crops. and these same farmers are
constantly telling OF the great crops
they got from their lands in past years,
and lamenting how sadly it has degen-
Grated. But few years ago the aver
age yield of wheat in certain Western
States was twenty to thirty bushels to
the acre; now it is hardly fifteen. and
only kept at that by the annual opening
of new lands. Not long since the world
was called upon to wonder at the fertili-
ty of California lands, and the marvel
GUS product of forty and even T Nixty
bushels of wheat to the acre, but now
the papers are lamenting that these
same lands hardly average ten bushels
per acre. The simple cause of this is
that the soluble elements of fertility in
these soils have been exhausted by the
constant growing of one crop, without
manuring or rest. Even proper alter
nations of crops would have avoided
this result, for there are crops, as clover,
which act as decomposers of mineral
elements in the soil, or by long roots
tend to draw fertilizing matter from
great depths to the surface. The roots
of corn and wheat spread themselves
internally near the surface, those of
clover strike downward Hence a mere
change of crop would have been of some
value; but on millions of acres this
small boon of rest from incessant toll
in one direction has been denied the
weary soil.
These lands are now in such a condi-
ton that not only must they have n
change of crop, but they must also be
fed. Few acres of them but contain
some fertilizing matter, though it is in
an insoluble state; other crop-food has
been all drawn out, at least from near
the surface, and must be supplied.
Therefore, to reproduce these lands in |
their original fertility, We need SIMPLY |
to add an alkali to make the silica solu- |
BILE, so as to have good strong straw or
stalk, phosphoric acid in some form and
for the grain. Whether we
supply these elements by commercial
fertilizers or by the use of the CHEAP
and ever-valuable ground plaster, in
with a green crop plowed
under, is not matter of much impor-
tance-the great point is that they
should be supplied. Every farmer
should adopt the system of returning
hose elements to his soil which will be
cheapest to him; the results from either
ire likely to be equally good, though
me may be slower than the other And
lot only should the farmers who may
hus reclaim their soils learn lesson
rom the past, but it should be forcibly
brought before, and practiced by, the
thousands of young men who are and
gill be carving their fortunes from the
ow fertile soil of the new lands of the ]
Vest. Dearly bought is the experience $
f those who have now to replace the 9
reasure they have robbed, and if those a
tho are establ Ching new hs'sSs' E8a 2
reaking up the virgin soil OF I 2 =