The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-10-17

evidence that the land needs under
draining. 10 accomplish this the
drains for an orchard should be not
less than four feet in depth; for general
farming three feet will do, and the
drains should be not more than two
rods apart. care being taken TO make
&, Cd work, as clogged drain is NO
drain ut all. If the work is well done
the increase of the crops grown upon
the ground for two Or shree years will
cover the expense of understanding.
leaving the land in goo0 condition tOf
an unlimited time.
Next, clay land reJuif.s moro care
in working it than other soil. as it u
more readily affected by the weather.
floughe,l when wet in the spring it will
bake and become more or less harSls
and when worked alterwarI will break
up IN Jumps. and al the effort to reduce
ii TO a soft. mellow condition will be of
little avail crops are grown On such
soil with loss, and it requires the frost
of one or two winters to correct its
harshness. but it is less susceptible to
in Jury and more easily worked after it
is drained. 1t will then admit of earlier
blowing and putting in in the spring,
and quicker working after rain. 1t
also favors fall p.owlng which is GER
tain to be followed in the spring By q
mellower surface and less compact
undersoil, which, now that lis drainage
is improved. favors the m5re ready
discharge of surplus water. But in all
cases care must be taken nct to pillow
the land or work it in any way when
wet. Besides the aid OF the 'rosts and
the iree use of implements in reducing
the soil to a mellow condition, barn
yard manure. highly charged with tne
vegetable material, is anolhta' and inn
portant aid; this helps TO IuI .her divide
the particles tuat compose the soil and
bring them into new contact. Sod and
green crops turned down haze similar
effect.
The processes thus far suggested
have been mainly TO dry and mellow
the land, with the object in view of
passing off surplus water in a rainy
time, and retaining moisture in
drought two properties which occur
onlv III good soil, and which ale so
now have u valuable soil. 1t is our
business to see that we keep 1t SO by
continuing the care in working it and
keeping t enriched and wei,-charged
with vegetable matter, which will keep
it soft aud mellow. 1T will then last.
No soil wears better.
Sandy soil requires less time and
much less expense than clay soil to
bring il into good condition. No I'M
derdraining Is necessary, and less care
and euort are required in working it.
" hat it needs is to be put in condition
to retain moisture and prevent waste OF
manure by washing and evaporation.
as its hold upon manure is very slight.
IN the absence of clay. To supply The
necessary clay would be too expensive.
The most successful treatment is to
charge the surface soil with fine vege-
table matter, to be thoroughly mixed
and incorporated with the tillable soil.
or this purpose nothing Is bettet than
muck. This not only improves the
texture of the SOIL but deepens its color,
which favors the absorption Of heat so
much needed early in the season. 1t
also contains some plant food, but not
enough TO realize much profit, if any,
on the cost. 1t is the manure that is
to be used after the application of the
muck, or, what is better, combined
with the muck before it IS applied on
the land, that is to realize the profit,
the muck being the medium to convey
and hold the manure for the use of the
plant as it requires it. And it answers
this purpose well, having. like clay, an
attraction for the fertilizing elements,
particularly nitrogen. which in the
main it holds till taken up by the plant.
1t also absorbs and retains moisture.
The best way TO combine manure
and vegetable matter is to use the lat
ter as an absorbent in the stables.
Where muck is lacking other mate
r al may be employed, such as chat.
leaf mould, or sawdust from hard
wood, to be used in dry state,
when they readily absorb the fluids
of the stables. which are by far the
best portion of the droppings, and are
ready at once to be taken up by vege-
tation when applied to the land.
Farmers who have adopted this
method are realizing its benefit as
applied both 10 sandy and clay
SOILS. en- the former it is more u
necessity. and hence it is more en-
ployed on light soil. Where an en-
tire farm, or most of it, is composed
largely OF sand. some farmers, in addi-
ton to their other stock. keep large
number Of hogs expressly to manu-
facture manure, the hogs paving for
their cost to fit them for market,
while the manure combined with the
muck which is used freely in the
pens, costs only the labor of secur-
ing the muck obtained on the farm: and
when it is considered that the removal
of the muck changes bog into good
tillable land, the benefit of the opera
ton becomes evident. TINS manure is
rich and quick in its effect. the muck
forming the necessary vegetab mate
rial for the mechanical improvement of
the land, and the longer retention of
the manurial elements in the soil.
To undertake to treat sandy soil, es-
pec,ally il light and leachy, without
the aid of some substance to improve
its texture so as to prevent teaching
and hold the manure is to fail. And
after the land is put in condition for
sue essful cropping it requires con-
tinued endeavor to keep it so, other
wise it will speedily go back to its
former barren condition. Properly
managed it can be made continued
success with less labor and expense
Al Il