Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1875-03-04
The Effect Of Burning upon the Pro.
-z longed Fertility Of soil. @.

"Hh'cSSi Msty Oc OcCOAlDuStiOlc upon ~ tAAt
renders cultivation difficult or imperfect,
is one of such long standing that it may
appear presump'uous to question its eff
cacy or suggest that Il process more ex-
pcnsivc i'll Doth time AID labor can in the
end be made more profitable. We believe
that if such suggestion is not warranted
in its f:;lle<t and broadcst Significance,
t:.ere is still truth enough in the state
ment that II great deal Of land is burned
10, much, t" warrant al inquiry into the
possible effects of,rcpea:ed and often ex-
crss've bnrnings upon tile prolonged fer
til:ty If soils thus treated. s#~ 49,
Every soil capable Of supporting prtlin-
airy vegetation, consists "f two essential
componcnts, neither cf which should be
in excess OF certain limits, although gr Ut
variation may be found within those linn
its. These componcnts consist Of inor-
ganic mineral matter on the one hand,
and partially decompnscd organic matter
on the other. Any soil upon which food
plans can be successfully grown must
contain Il considcrablt.;imnunt Of this lat:
ter material. The soil need not ncccss;,.
ril; b: black: the remains Of vegetation
need not be percvrtiblc; set the PARTIAL,
drcomp"se>s vegetable material liz the
form of d;sintcgra!cd cells must be pres
cn'. The miasr,l constituents, potash ,
soda. lime. magnesia. iron, phosphorous
and sulphur may be found in abundance !;
but # The proper amount Of vegetable
matter be- wanting, the more highly or.
ganized plants ca'.no: be grown success
fully. ~ s .,A.
This organic matter is called hu US,
and llOs Id bc in the form, Of very small
particles .hat make the soil coherent, if
moist and when dry. fern a fine, in.pal.
pablo powder. A thoroughly pulvcrizcd
soil, containing the pror er anlount t Of l,u-
mus, instead Of settling together, remains
light and porous; the air crculates to II
depth of several feet, and the aqueous va
pr that it contains is condensed, Weld
ing warmth and moisture, boil, Of which
increase the energy of vegetable growth,
In consequence of the ccllu|ai.- structure
OF humus,-it absorbs and condenses the
gases of the atmnspherc-oxygen, nitro
gen. carbonic acid and amn,a ania-and By
peculiar action, nQt well understood,
the ox.Sg gen and nitrogen unite to form
nitric and ni:rnus oxides aud acids, com.
pounds that are immediately available rs
plant food. These nitrogen oxides com.
binc with ammonia 10 form ammonia
salts; or in connection with potash and
soda, lime aud magnesia, the anlmoni,.
forms still more complex substances
which store away thcammoni in the soil
in insolublc forms. These various offices
of hunus are of vital Importance and can
Oaly be performed to i limited extent BY
any Of the mineral ingredients of which
a soil is composed This fact readily ex
plHils in part why analysesnft!le mine
raj cOnstitu nts Of soils have repeated,
failed to throw light on their peculiali
ties. Soils, rich IN. pllosphates and s1,l
|phate:;, hut deficient in humus, can be on
ly moderately fertile. Moreover, sncl
soils may be renewed by application of
mineral fertilizers without adequate re
] suits, while such substances rs guano
rich III nitrates and ammonia will be
found to produce only very temporary ef
z. fects.
It therefore becbmcs OF ofpnramonnt i'm
. portance that those who desire to cult
. *vatr the soil in such i manner as tD Sc
q cure the best and most lasting results
I. should seek by every means TO preserv,
]. the l'r per ratio of fsorganic and inorigani.
constituents. To this end too much carr
Hcrnnnt be exercised to preserve il,c larg
est amount pf humus in The soil. No veg
etablc matter u Y that can possibly be splnwct
under should be burned. The light gras
half tlccaved leaves and ronts, that are 8.
frequently burned, .vonI,l |. If turned IN
der, rapidly undergo lint peculiar proc
. ess of pariill decay, and furnish larg.
amour ,nf,,f lnmns "a BE incnrp Grated Will
s the sill by frequent III ,wings. rendering
i 1ivht, porous and fertile. Rubbish /.
be burned, csreciall Il il b. brnsh sIoult
be pnt into piles. m! no. sprrall over til
'' gr',un'l when i is dry. frnsting IS the dr.
leaves md erssa &, carry. the fire from on
stick fn nnOi llcr.
The attention, &C the writer was srepeal
##sesliy called tt,S this ssl,j during III
c5rcsiel elcncc, few years SINCE, III Mniinc.--
n Zone VII. l,es tile Main
e AfrAl 4 silrpaa tfsln, Pnrt tlnnd aio BIN
11.r md s,l,rs,ugl tlle 'ennbsco valley
nort l,as i}ed Is lice q,
81 ln,laenss & country that have l,es,