The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-06-17

The coming farmer has got to be
scientific man, and the sooner the mat
ter is squarely faced the better for him
and all his folks. The capabilities OF
soil are as important as the capabilities
of the teams selected to work them; ana
the farmer who is good judge OF morse
flesh, and a poor Judge or no Judge at
all of his land, is in sorry predlca-
ment. There are many farmers who
cannot read or write, who have never
heard discussion on soils, VINO kno"
nothing about phosphates, nitrogen or
potash; but n evertheless have never yet
failed to work any land which has been
put into their care with perfect success.
Notwithstanding their want OF educa-
ton they have been close observers:
with a good memory, and have stored
away in the recesses of their brain,
never to be put into words, but only to
be brought out in their own practice,
fund of useful knowledge as profound
as the most learned professor ever
dreamed of.
These men are scientific farmers in
the true sense of the term; yet they
cannot express themselves by any mode,
only by example. Precept is beyond
their powers. They never could be-
come teachers because it would take q
lifetime to show what they know. and
their pupils would be superannuated be-
fore they were ready to graduate.
These home made scientific farmers
have no apparatus to perform such ex-
periments as terra culture calls for; no
chemicals with which to test the many
fallacies laid before the rural public;
but only few little grains of common
sense which in pure soil would grow
such terribly sound crop of experience.
And here lies their safety: they DO
not know enough to be misled by any OF
the MANY plausible theories offered
them; they cannot understand them,
and their brain remains inundated.
Blessed be ignorance when so eminent
ly useful.
There is a class of farmers coming to
the front, however, who are possessed
with the desire for knowledge, who have
learned that in this year, 1881, s'knowl-
edge is power.'' These men have not
the technical knowledge to enable them
to use philosophical apparatus, or to
Gull samples, or to create combinations
from the constituents of the soil on their
farms. and are thus held back from
much practical knowledge absolutely
necessary to their prosperity. To this
class wish to offer a few ideas, which
, if pursued, will prove extremely inter
/ esting as well as profitable.
, Soils are extremely various, ranging
, from clay so pure as to make the best O.
brick down to sand SO pure as to trave
to and fro with every wind. Every kline
t of soil when acted upon by water Grain
? acts as a filter. Clay allows but little
the mineral components to pass, whil'
D sand suffers all to descend to certain
t depth. The various mixtures OF ella.
e and sand, the basis of all soils, arrest tn
: fertilizing properties of liquids accord
b ing as the proportion of each predomi
# mates. >,
It Here we have the secret OF prohtaDl
e manuring. A clay soil will retain tn
o fertilizing principles near the surface
J. and short or surface-rooted plants wi
J. find their food there when they need il
" A sandy soil allows the strength OF ms
IF nure to wash deeper, consequently deeE
,e rooted plants must be placed there. In
" exact place of retardation of the strengt
10 of a manure in any given soil, then, is
" matter of great Importance.
h Without this knowledge crops may
tn put in so contrary to their requirement
T. as to cause a general failure over IL
re whole farm; while with it, by me-
IN shifting to congenial fields, every Gre
So would have been successful. Ge
is naantown Telegraph.