Dodge City times., 1882-10-26

II was ONCE believed by MANY think
ers and observers. that one of the good
effects of drought is 10 bring up fer
tlity 10 the surface soil, from deep
down in the subsOii of our fields. The
increased crops of the following wear
would sometimes seem TO favor such a
theory. and it j. not improbable that
such movements of the moisture con-
tanned in the soil may, 10 some extent,
aid the growth Of crops in years subse-
quent to those of excessive drought. II
soluble substances are carried down
with moisture when IL settles through
the soil. il would seem reasonable To
expect them 10 be brought up when the
moisture again works upward. Recent
experiments have, however, shown that
in our climate there is not great
amount of fertility carried down
through the soil out of reach of growing
plants during the growing season.
The examination Of water that has
passed down through two or three feet
of soil in oGr cultivated fields. seldom
shows any traces Of fertiiizing elements
that have been drawn from the soil dur
ing lie descent II water carries little
or nothing down. it can of course,
bring but little back.
II would seem that in a season like
the IreScnt. when the soil is excessively
dry, and vegetation actually stops
growing. that the fertilizers applied to
the land must TO a considerable extent
remain in the soil ready 10 be applied
10 the growth of the next crop. so that
the loss from small crops this year will
not be all loss. Where land has been
well manured this year, but prevented
by the extreme drought from producing
n full crop. we shall expect to see next
wear, provided the season is favorable,
AN extra luNuriant growth. This will
be the case especially on clayev land.
winch does not readily part with its
plant food By teaching. A thin. sandy
soil. underlaid by coarse gravel. must
lose lis fertility more readily under the
intluenc. Of winter rains, but this is not
the general character of the majority
of farm lands in New England We
shall look for bountiful crops of spring
gran next season, where the corn was
well mannred. but dried up this year,
and without the application of very
heavy dressings
On moving lands that have suffered
severely from long continued droughts
the past two or three months, the ease
may be different. Where the soil is
thin and naturally dry. and the roots
have been getting old and feeble, and
the fertility exhausted, there win he
little reason Is expect much grass or
hay next year. The pity is. that very
large proportion OF the land of New
England farms is in exactly this condi-
tion a great deal of the time-old now
ing fields that need ploughing up and
working Overland dry season like
what we have had the past summer
works very disaslrously against the
farmer who owns such lands. Could we
get in the way of working our land
oftencr. even though perhaps we re-
duced the size of our farms. we should
certainly feel the loss less from such a
season u we have had this year.
In short, however unfayorable the
weather NAV seem 10 be. it is almost in
variably more favorable 10 the good
farmer than 10 him who cutiyaies
poorly and manures light The cult
vator of the soil should endeavor to
learn how 10 secure Il crop, whatever
the weather may be. The best farmers
and gardeners do this to a considerable
extent and So find less cause To COM
plain than those who depend almost
wholly upon good weather TO help them
along .-Nsw EHgidnd Farmer.