Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1880-09-02

eattle 1Of market, we carried away cOmpar
atively little of the elements of fertility from
our farms !; but when we sell the grain we
are parting with mineral elements, many of
which cannot be reproduced in the soil
ahd without these our crops will fail. OF
this group. the most important are phos-
phoric acid and potash. The first of these,
in combination with lime is the principal in
gredient in the formation of bone in all ami
mails, and it also enters largely into the
composition of brain and other tissues of
animal bodies. AS these tissues are con-
stantly changing during life it follows that
the excrement Of animals always contains
more or less OF these phosphates. But in
order to replace the phosphates lost in the
be necessary to add bone meal or some form
of mineral phophate each year. if we ex-
pect to maintain the fertility Of our wheat
fields 1t was formerly supposed that
ground bone, being insoluble in water, was
not available AS a manure until it was con
verted into super-phosphate by being
treated with sulphuric acid to render it sol
uble, but experience, that safest of all teach
ers, has demonstrated that the natural agen-
cies to which it is subjected in the soil will
decompose raw bone-meal, and liberate its
phosphate as fast as the growing crop will
demand il. In addition to bones, large sup
ply of phosphates are now obtained from
mineral deposit. In South Carolina an ex
tensive deposit of mineral phosphate of lime
has been discovered and is now b work
ed and ne doubt. as the demand increases,
new sources of supply will be discovered.
Potash especially in wheat farming, is an
indispensable element, but it enters more
largely into the composition of the straw
than Of the grain. The glazing that covers
the stra Of healthy wheat crop is true
glass. 1t is formed by the action of potash
on the silica, or flint sand In the soil, ren-
dering it soluble. If the straw, in any form
is returned to the field. the potash is saved
and may be ased for successive crops, in
definitely. Our chiet dependence for an ar
titicial supply of potash to our exhausted
soils, has heretofore been wood ashes, bul
within a few years past an immense deposit
of mineral potash has been discovered al
Straasford in Germany, and German potash
| is now sold at fair rates in our eastern mar
kets. Our forests. for untold centuries.
have been at work gathering potash from
the deep subsoil, 10 be used in All annual
crop of leaves which every autumn spreads
as top dressing on the soil. This process
has rendered the surface soil rich III potash.
Much of these manures May be supplied by
careful composing of the wastes of the
barn-yard and stables. But a dressing will,
bone-meal at the rate Of 100 or l50 pounds
| per acre, mixed with rs much land-plastel
and all the ashes that can be obtained. will
be paying investment in wheat culture.
But ii wheat is to become the leading crop
in this couatry it will demand that more at
tention be paid to clover as a fallow crop.
This will be found an important auxiliary
in maintaining the wheat fertility OF our
soils. But wheat on a clay soil demand.
that that soil be underdrained, in order to
secure even moderate certainty OF the
crop. Wheat on well-drained and thor.
oughIy pulverized soil, sufficiently nllnrrd
with bone-meal and bar,-yard compost, i
reasoably certain to produce from Is to 2C
bushels per acre, and frequently more than
| thut.-Indiana Farmer.