The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1885-02-14
TILLAoE.
II Is Not Manure hut the Means Of Rapid
~ Consuming IL.

"There Is nothing new under the
sun" A hundred years ago there was
precisely the same fuss made about til
lage Of the soil as a method Of extract
ing fertility from It az there b being
made to-day. There Is nothing new
either in the presentation Of the old
matter. and il is simply the bare fact
that a farmer or two. for the sake Of
making : novel sensation in the agri-
cultural journals, have been claiming
great and unusual results from excel
lent tillage Of the soil. and in relating
their experiences have been arguing
that manure Is Of secondary consider
atiOn a. compared with the pl0w and
harrow and culliyator. As with almost
every one-sided view Of a question. this
IS partial and illusory, for tillage is ono
business and manurng is another, and
yet one Is quite useless without the
other; both being indispensable 10 each
other and to good and successful farm
ing. No intelligent farmer doubts the
usefulness and necessity Of thorough til
lage; but only n very unreasonable and
ignorant one would doubt the useful
ness and necessity Of thorough manur-
ing. There has been a time when
some farmers have thrown away ma
nure n a burden 10 be cast of as quick
Is and easily rs possible, but that period
has passed never to return, and the same
farmers are now eager TO purchase ma
nure and fertilizers, knowing by ex-
p%ericnce how indispensable these ARE.
But at the same time there are many
farmers who do not perceive clearly
how tillage without manure, or manur
without tillagc, are wholly incompati-
BILE with good and successful farming.
Manure is the food of the soil, tillage Is
tho function Of digestion, whereby the
digested food is prepared for plants, alb
sorbcd and assimilated and so changed
to cellular tissue, Of which the plants
are built up. There is an analogy be-
tween the process Of feeding plants and
that Of feeding animals, the soil serving
ms the stomach by which the plant food
Is prepared for the crops which feed
upon It. This will no doubt be readily
perceived and acknowledged by every
intelligent reader. Then II follows that
not only must food be supplied to the
| soil In q III condition for the use Of the
crops, but the soil must be prepared by
thorough tillage for the reception and
the digestion OF the plant food that the
roots may absorb 1t into their circula-
ton aud assimilate 1t into their sub
stance.
Recent discoveries have greatly en-
larged our knowledge OF the mutual
action which goes on between the soil
and the dccaying organic matter which
Il may contain. A vast and almost in
finite field Of life and action Is now
known TO exist in the soil which Is
vitalized By the oxygen Of the atmos-
phere. and In which q process Of nitri-
i~ication Il continually going IN. A
world Of invisible germs are constantly
Selling upon the particles Of organic
matter. consuming them, converting
the inert nitrogen In them. by means
Of atmospheric oxygen, into nitric acid,
which then combines with the various
alkaline substances and forms nltratcs
upon which plants nj feed. and which
are converted into the heterogeneous
matter Of the cellular substance within
the plants II Is clear that this action
can only 20 on with a vigor proportion
ate 10 the porous. line and mellow con.
dillon ~ the -oil. This condition can
only be- produced By tillagc Tillagc,
then. i Indispensable 10 the decom.
position Of organic matter In the soil
aud 10 the production Of indispensable
nitric arid and its combinations. Til.
lage, then. u only a means; II fur.
nlshes no matter or substance.
nor does II act In any way Of
liaslfs II only enables the at.
mosphem 10 act upon what II
nnds In the soil and TO convert II into
plant food Thus Of itself. and with
Out = supply Of material hat can b
aeted upon, u l. exhaustive Of the fer.
uIlss II The soil. n II Increases the con.
sumpalse processes Of the soil without
providing anything to be consumed.
The soil l. thus rapidly worn out by till
age, and the moro 30 As the tillage !.
moru thorough and perfect This en-
plains why thorough tillage u produe
live sad why Il has led some persons ts
ielless In the delusise misleading ant
dangerous opinion that "tillage Is ma
nnrsL" ~ course Il increases The pro
anrtlsams.. of tho soil. but only b,
: drawing upon its reserve. And u AM
farmer should b. 40 misled as "a depent
|. upon slIIsee for the increase Of hi
J crops and nsgiect 10 provide n II
sxsst proportion a. he tills his soil NOR
thoroughly, he viii all the ooner iin'
, his salf 20 b. exhausted and the end 0
T. pfa=inetivcne>e reached Tillage
: god thing. Sd l. a good sppetitl
sd AszllAfaI exercise 10 a man. Hu
: slIIsKs must he supplemented will
adequate and proporp" mate food. Just =
Z he mans physical exercise and nno'
! aprsss'r m1r'. o. starvation WI n
: nAef<fss tillaev i not manuv. hu
<Imrl} To means Tor RAPIDLY opnruH
, -. 1- 49,