The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-05-22
HOW 1T WORKS.

To Maintain the Fertility of His Soil Al
ways a Consideration with the Careful
Farmer. t5..t 3g-5-.
While perhaps not more appreciative
of the principle involved, the farmer
who has made livestock products
leading feature of his farm industry has
uncons ciously maintained the produc-
tive capacity of his land, and gradually
improved his condition, while those neg
lecting this important feature of farm
industry have gradually reduced the
producing power of their soil, and if
not in all cases positively poorer have
made but little Roadway. Considering
the amount of the elements of plant
life which are included in the great
body of the soil, and the very trifing
changes which ordinary human effort
can make either in the bulk Or con-
stituents of the soil of any farm, it
would seem as if it were of little. con-
sequence whether the farmers made
any efforts or not for its amelioration.
Nevertheless, if crops are to be raised
and a profitable husbandry sustained
these efforts can not be neglected, but
must be persistently maintained. The
materials which we add may be incon-
sequential in bulk, and as far as they
add to the stock of fertile elements al
ready in the soil, of very trifing i'm
portance, but the changes which they
induce in the soil itself by their
presence, or by the form in which
we present them, exert a wide
influence upon production. The true
source of fertility in the soil is the soil
itself. 1t is only to avail himself more
rapidly and with greater certainty of
what is already there that the farmer
derives profit from adding more. 1t is
not sufficient merely that there should
be organic matter in the soil in order
that its mineral elements can be appro-
pliated and large plant growth secured;
but it seems necessary that there should
be a proportion of organic matter
undergoing slow oxidation or decay in
the soil in order that its latent product
i've powers may be stimulated SILICA,
alumina, lime, potash, soda and other
mineral elements which plants require,
are generally present in sufficient
quantities, but not available, because
not SO readily and rapidly soluble, as to
support successive heavy crops. The
addition of organic matter is not simply
the addition of so much material, but
its decay in the soil hastens the solu-
bility of all the mineral elements pre-
viously present. AS the result of the
process of decay more or less carbonic
and perhaps nitric acid are generated,
which exercise a powerful solvent action
when mixed with the soil water, and
thus very small quantity of manure
spread upon the field may lead to chem
ical changes, combinations and recon-
binations throughout the body of the
soil, which no chemist can follow and
of which none can measure the results,
save as they are seen in the increasing
production.
And here is where the stock-grower
has the advantage. He always has
supply of manure, so that once in so
often every part of the farm can receive
a portion, and enough to keep the doors
of the great store-houses of nature al
ways unlocked The grain grower can
not duplicate the same results by the
use of concentrated commercial ferti-
lizers. They may restore, in part. what
has been removed, or they may act as
temporary stimulus for time; but they
do not answer the purpose of barn
yard manure, because they add nothing
to be slowly oxidized in the soil and
render the natural supplies of fertility
available. Nature is the farmers best
friend, and he who raises live stock to 4
consume the major portion of the prod
ucts of the farm is keeping as close to
the kind mother as it is possible to do,
and by a iudicious use of the manures
at hand can always have his land, no
matter what he takes from it, in the
very highest productive state And il
he deyotes part of ito the production
of grain the yield will be sufficient to
secure him the largest compensation.
GgeUs!aad Herald.