American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-07-10
Summer Following for Wheat.

AMONG agriculturists it is still an open
question whether or not summer fallOw-
ing land for wheat is the best mode of
preparation for that crop. 1t has generally
been considered, in all ages, AS far as
history reaches, that the produce of the
land was increased by summer following.
But is this reality, and if so in what does
the efficacy of naked following consist?
- BY those who adopt this practice it is
argued that in strong clay lands one great
benefit derived is the opportunity it affords
for keeping the land clean. Many believe
that weeds cannot be successfully cxtir-
pated without an occasional resort to this
method; and it is very evident that this re-
suit will follow such practice, as general
rule. In n naked fallow, where the seed
are allowed to sprput and young plants to
grow for time, and then plowed in, the
land is enriched by green manuring OF
greater or less extent. If weeds are very
abundant the enriching is 50 much the
greater: and in almost every instance
where land lies without an artificial crop
during the whole summer large crop of
natural heritage will spring mp, and the
burying of 1t in the soil must be produc-
tive of considerable good.
When land experiences continuous crop
ping and is plowed only very moderate
depth the surface in which the roots are
extended becomes greatly exhausted of
such nutriment as is essential to plant
growth; and in land poorly titled some
parts of that surface will be more
exhausted than others. By thorough
blowing early in the season and then leav-
ing such soils undisturbed for time the
rains that fall and percolate through them
equaliZe the condition OF the whole sur
face soil so far as the soluble substances it
contains are concerned. In dry weather,
Off I'll ~
water ascends from beneath, bringing
with 1t saline and other soluble compounds,
and imparts them to the upper layers of
the soil Thus, by this mode of proceed
ure the land becomes equalIZed over Its
whole surface with all such substances as
are the natural food OF plants In this
condition the roots of the crop can more
readily procure them, ana VIII grow
quicker and stronger.
In most soils there is a considerable
quantity of vegetable and animal matter
in an inert state, or state WHICH under
goes decomposition very slowly, and thus
serves in only very small degree as food
for plants. In this case the frequent and
prolonged exposure which a naked fallow
affords induces more rapid decay of this
matter, or brings it into state where 1t
may more readily minister to the susie
nance and growth of plants. Among
ing this exposure and more rapid decom-
position of the organic matter of the soil,
nitric acid is one which appears to eXcr-
else n considerable influence upon the flu
ture fertility of the land. During the dc
cav of vegetable substances in moist air
ammonia is formed at the expense OF the
hydrogen of the water and OF the nitrogen
of the air In consequence OF, or in con-
nection, with, such decay, nitric acid is
in
mia is composed of fourteen parts of nitro
gen to three parts of hydrogen, and is an
essential constituent i'll the growth OF
plants.
Besides CLAW, sand and lime, of which
the soil chiefly consists, it contains also
fragments of mineral substances OF IA COM
pound nature-of feldspar, of mica, of
hornblend-of those minerals which con-
stitute or which occur in the granitic and
trap rocks. These slowly decomposc in
the soil-more rapidly also the more freely
they are exposed to the air-and the sub
stances which they contain, such as pot
ash, soda lime magnesia and silica, are by
this decomposition diffused more equally
and brought within the more easy reach Of
the roots of plants. The rains bring down
upon every soil periodical supplies OF all
those saline substances, Such as common
salt, gypsum, salts of lime, OF magnesia
and of potash, in minute quantity, which
exist in the sea, and of nitrate of ammo
MIA, produced by the decomposition of ami
mai and vegetable substances, and which
float in the lower stratum of the atmos-
phcre Where soil is deficient in any of
these season of following may cause the
succeeding crop to exhibit much more
IuXuriant growth.
The atmosphere contains small and
variable portion of ammonia. When anil
NAL or vegetable substances are decom-
posed. nearly all the nitrogen they contain
is ultimately separated from the other con
stituents in the form of ammonia. Of the
ammonia thus formed, much ascends into
the air, chiefly in combination with car
bonic acid as carbonate of ammonia, and
much remains in the soil. Liebig says
Z" that the whole of the nitrogen absorbed
by plants enters in the state of ammonia;'
and he "ascribes the fertiliZing action of
the air upon stiff clays when summer fall
lowed, of burned clay when applied as a
top-dressing, and of gypsum on grass lands,
TO the larger quantity of ammonia which
the surface of the soil is by these means
caused to absorb and retain.'' The clay,
the oxide of iron, and the organic matter
of the soil are supposed to have the power
of extracting this ammonia from the atmos-
phcre and reta lining it in their pores;
consequently, the more the soil is exposed