The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1879-09-25
nox,r BrRx YOUR STRAW.

DON'T BURN YOUR STRAW.
It seems remarkable fact that those
plants of the natura! order Grdmtncg
Tor grass tribe), the seeds of which fur
nish food for man, follow him like the
domestic animals. The reason is that
none of the cereal plants can bear seeds
that will yield large quantity of flour
without good supply of phosphate Of
magnesia and ammonia. Hence these
plants grow successfully only on soil
which contains these ingredients in adj
dition to the sick and potash which |
the soil already possesses and no soil
is richer in them than those where man
and animals dwell together, since these
substances are largely contained in the
animal body. and are set free in their
exertions during life, and by their gen.
eral decay after death.
Another remarkable fact which agri-
culturists generally seem slow 20 rec
ognize, viz: that a wheat plant or any
other plant can no more exist without
food than can an animal. and it is only
because the mode in which they receive
il is less evident TO us that we do not
commonly think of cereals as equally
dependent with animals upon the mate
rials supplied TO them by the elements
around. Hence the necessity of sup
plying our cultivated fields with de-
composed vegetable matter.
Careful analyses for the las; fifty
Years show that good wheat straw con-
tains quite as much nitrogen, almost as
much potash. and three-fourths as much
pliosphoric acid and carbon as stable
manure of average quality: and if these
ingredients can only be made soluble
by rOtting or fermentation, and spread
upon our fields, they would not only
retain their fertility, but increase in pro-
ductive power Such being the case
our straw is worth saving: is worth
money TO the farmer: is good for the
winter feeding of stock good for bed
ding animals; good for spreading Oh
the surface Of the barn-yar,,: good Tor
mulching purposes good for cattle
sheds: and if a large surplus is left.
rather than burn 1t, let it rot where it
lies, thus reducing il TO its organic ele-
mcnis. This we believe to be a far
wiser course for Us TO pursue than TO
apply the match to 4 produc. which Is
of such immense value to every far
mcr.
As agricIilturi..s. We and our fathers
have always pursued suicidal course
in this matter. We have rarely made
an eiIor, TO ascertain the chemical char
acter OF the earthly portions Of the soil
which we cultivate. We have not only
gone on from year TO year III i"nor-
ance of what is lacking III our soil for
the production Of any particular crop.
but we have been guilty of the greater
crime OF consuming by lire those sub
stances which If applied in the form Of
manure would give an abundance Of
plant food. with an increasing vigor
and luxuriancc in plant life.
The history OF agriculture the past
two hundred years is fraught with
: warning to the average Kansas farmer
The earlier settled portions Of Tho
United States, such a New England
Virginia and Maryland, exhausted then
fertile lands by ncglecting TO supply
plant food 10 the soil. flarvcsis oi
wheat, rye. oats and tobacco were OBJ
tanned for more than Il century from
one and the same field without the aid
of manure: and now whole districts
depleted of fcr;iliziDg material are con.
veried into unfruitful pasture lands
or vast tracts of timber, around which
can still be traced the blackeaed lines
of the traditional worm fence, pro-
claiming ia iralapc; tones that lane
cultivated without manure will moi
= produce crops continuously of wheat
corn or tobacco. The rich prairie soil'
of the North and Southwestern State
have undergone the same fatal system
Of depletion. These lands have beci
skinned and peeled TO such an exten
that fields that we're formerly product
i've refuse to give paying crops. ap'
the owners have been compelled IL
leave their beautiful homes. in:
), never learned the lesson: Feed the sol
, and il will feed you; siarve il ana i
will starvc gou," and thus ignorant o
natures laws they come further west
unfortunately. 10 pursue the same de
struc;iye policy.
There is only one way of kcepin.
our farmers in good heart and filth
. and that i, to begin early and apply al
the fertilizing material we can gathc
together: thus the soil will not only be
come richer, but will increase in pro
ductiveness, and the grain from year f.
year will be superior in quality.
e On the contrary, every farmer wilt
: wllt'ully or ignorantly wastes or de
|, stroys valuable feriilizing material be
: cause The land may moi now seem t.
need il. commits "A grave error. 40
/. just in proportion as The heart of III
I land is drawn upon, in just such pro
portion will il. however rich il may be
| exhaust itself. II is cheaper and easie
20 feed the land year by year with villa
= naturally accommodates upon it. than f
, wait until exhaustion appears. and ihel
gradually and tediou,ly bring il bacl
through n long series of wears of nurs
4 ing 10 something Of lis normal fertii
".
Farmers. permit Us again 10 repca
, the voice OF warrington burn YOU
straw: doai.-W. Robson, IA Dichltt
son County Cbroaicle.
+. SAVING TJIE REROSES