The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1882-04-27
aarirnltnral.
Rs.,ering Exhausted Fertility.

Not inircqu.nily The least productive
lands are fertile enough bat on, Of eohdi
iicn from poor iiliage or stagnsnt water
near the surface. We may he quite sure
that land which plows up IN large Jumps Is
never really poor These Jumps arc the
storehonscs in which fertility lies lock ed
10 save il from waste under improvidcn
management and improper culture. Ihsve
often seen fields ia which few uRder-
drains 10 remove surplus water and JET in
air and heat have worked wonders The
clodded soil was fertile enough. but value
less until better culture made the fertility
available as plant food. On land not nch
too wet good tillage win in part do this
without understanding, though II the sur
plus water is not removed the good effects
of tillagc will not last longer than the first
year
In going 10 work 10 improve land il
makes great difference whether the sol,
be sand or clay, light or heavy, dry OF wet.
As a rule light lands show for all they are
worth. while soils surcharged with mois-
ture are often better than they look. The
best soils are dark colored; but abundance
of runners or vegetable matter is not sure
sign of fertility. There is probably the
same difference 10 muck that there is in
the humus from decomposition Of various
kinds of yegeta bles. The rotting of cotton
seed or of clover hay makes vastly better
manure than the decomposition OF wheat
or rye straw The question as to the val
ne Of muck for farm uses is being much
discussed now. and 1t is very idle one.
There is muck and muck very val
liable, much more less so, and some al.
most entirely yalueless. To which of these
classes farmers muck.bed belongs he can
best determine by experiment.
But the farmer who would restore activ-
ity to partly worn out lands can hardly 60
amiss in applying vegetable matter in some
form. Decaying vegetable matter lightens
heavy soil and solidifes sandy soil. IL
gives the dark color 10 the soil which
makes it warm for the young germ in ear
ly spring time. On heavy soils it has
more than mechanical effect in making
them porous. 1t disintegrates them, so rs
to make latent fertility available. 1t il
sometimes objected to the use Of concen-
trated fertilizers that they help the crop to
exhaust the soil by taking more from it
than the fertilizer directly adds. There is
perhaps no kind of manure to which this
objection will not apply. Yet we know
that under good management aud with
liberal use Of fertilizers soils will continue
to grow better while being constantly
cropped. The conclusion is unavoidable
that all manures help the soil otherwise
than by the addition Of the fertility they
contain. In other words manure helps the
soil to help itself. This is one of the
most important facts in connection with
improved farming. Good land can and
should yearly grow better. Poor land I'M
less managed with the greatest care, is liza
BILE to grow worse.
Probably nothing so marks the difference
Between good and poor soils as the alb
sence or presence OF vegetable matter.
This is why crop Of clover or even OF
buckwheat plowed under has often SO re-
marknble a renovating effect. The decay
ing mass in the soil works chemical and
other changes on its particles which add
more to its produetiveness than its chemi-
cal analysis would warrant us in believing.
Vegetable matter while decomposing gives
off plant food which the soil retains. 1t al.
SO probably, under some conditions, ena-
bles the titled soil to gather fertility from
the air, rains and melting SHOWS Itwould
seem that lands Astounding in vegetable
matter would be unaffected by the add.
ton of more; but have known crop of
clover to be plowed under on black,
mucky soil with beneficial results. Prob.
ably in this case the fermentation gave
needed warmth, and without doubt the de.
caying clover gave off a larger proportion
of nitrogen to the soil than tho other vege'
table matter could do. Usually however
on black soils fertility can be Restored
more cheaply than by the use of clover or
other vegetable matter. Pot ash and phos-
phate OF lime or bone-ep nth are usually
most needed on black - Jils, and with these
and good drainage such land IN ~ be often
proitably cropped for long series OF
years. ExperiW Ant is needed to ascertain
what mineral q .ements are most needed
Usually, il y e subsoil be sandy, potash
will be def .cient and phosphate of lime
may be $50. II there be some clay in the
soil POI ash will rarely be needed and the
expc' .imeut should first be tired with phos
PHI ,te of lime alone. VIM. J. Fowler II
,4rammer.