The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-04-07
GRANGE DEPARTMENT

If agriculture were fixed science and
there we're no accidents of weather and
seasons to interfere, the farmer might be
better able than now to prepare his land
and SOW his seed with the certainty OF
reaping a full crop. But it IS far from
being either an exact or fixed science.
On the contrary, the best laid plans often
fail of success through some unlocked
for accident. In the infancy of agricul-
tural chemistry enthusiastic chemists be-
lieved, and made farmers believe to some
extent, that to raise full crops it would
only be necessary to analyze the soil and
add to it such chemical elements as were
found to be deficient. After the expe-
rience of more than quarter of century
since those hopes were INDUCED in we
know that nothing is more uncertain
than the development of the theories of
agricultural chemistry. After all, it is
to a great extent matter Of practical
experiment and actual knowledge in
what way maximum crops may be grown,
and there has been found no substitute
for thorough tillage and abundant use of
well-made farm-yard manure.
But there are some facts that have
been learned through the investigations
of chemists that have illustrated in for
chile manner the experiences of practical
farmers and which have helped to clear
up the doubts of some, and to teach
others what they would never have
learned otherwise. Every farmer has
found, at one time or another, that he
cannot raise repeated crops of any one
kind, without so impovershing the soil
that it refuses to bear any more. But if
he changes the crop the soil Immediately
becomes productive again. When we
come to learn from the chemists analy-
sis of what elements these crops consist,
the problem is solved. For instance, we
know that crops remove from the soil
silica, lime, and potash, and, further,
that plant that needs in large part any
one of these elements will not flourish in
any soil deficient in that needed element
One kind of crop requires large amount
of silica for its profitable growth, while |
some other crop requires little or none of
that substance, and the same is true as
regards lime, potash, and other constant
ingredients of fertile soil. 1t is almost
impossible to utterly impoverish any
soil by growing crops, but it is COMPARE
lively easy to exhaust one of its import
AIlI pdTLS. linen, II the SOIL Is InuS o4-
hausted of one of its parts, or at least of |
so much of it as exists in a soluble and |
available condition, by costantly growing |
one kind of crop, and we change the crop
and grow different one for series of |
years, the soil is in course of exhaustion
of another and different part. But that |
part of which the previous crops had ex-
hausted it is now in process of recovery
by the rest given to the soil by suspend
ing that kind of crop which had exhaust
ed it. The action of air, moisture, heat,
and the acids Of decomposing vegetable
matter dissolve a fresh portion of the
soil, and release, in an available condi-
ton, new supply of the previously ex-
hausted substance. This process may be
carried on yet further by other changes
of crops. This important fact has been
learned ages ago, and farmers have been
compelled to adopt certain change of
crop periodically. Skillful farmers have
adopted yearly rotation of crops by
which, while the soil was not exhausted
of any one of its valuable elements to
any great extent, ample time was given
for new supply to be set free, and the
soil has been kept tor an indefinite time
in fertile, or even in constantly i'm
proving condition. Thus was, in fact
established the well known principle of
rotation in crops