The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1885-05-29


70 Maintain the Fertility Of liis Soil A.
ways = Consideration with the Careful
Farmer.
While perhaps not more nppreciative
u the principle involved, the farmer
who has made livestock products
leading feature Of his farm industry has
uncon sciously maintained the produce
tive capacity Of his land, and gradually
improved his condition, while those neg
iecting this important feature Of farm
industry hare gradually reduced the
producing power Of their soil, and u
potin al cases positively poorer have
inade bit little Roadway. Considering
the amount of the elements Of plant
life which are included in the great
body Of the soil, and the very triiling
changcs which ordinary human effort
can make either in the bulk or con-
stituents of the soil Of any farm, il
would sccm as II IL were Of little con-
sequence whether the farmers made
any efforts. or not for its amcloration.
Nevertheless. IL crops are to be raised
and i profitable husbandry sustained
these efforts can not be neglected. but
must be persistently maintained. The
materials which we add may be incon-
seoucntial in bulk. and as far ms they
add 10 the stock of fertile elements al
ready in the soil. Of very trifling 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 wide
influence upon production. The true
source Of fertility in the soil is the soil
itself. IL Is only 70 avail himself more
rapidly and with greater certainty Of
what Il already there that the farmer
derives profit from adding more. u is
not sufficient merely that there should
be organic matter in the soil in order
that its mineral elements can be appro-
priated and large plant growth secured;
but il seems necessary that there should
be 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,
ralumina. lime, potash. soda and other
mineral elements which plants require.
arc 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 50 much material. but
its decay in the soil hastens the solu-
billy Of all the mineral elements pre-
viously present. A the result Of the
process Of decay. more or less carbonic
and perhaps nitric acid are generated.
which exercise apowerful 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 rs they are seen in the increasing
production.
And here is where the stock-growcr
has the advantage He always has a
supply OF manure. 80 that once in So
|. often every part Of the farm can receive
q portion, and enough to keep the doors
of the great store-houses Of nature al
ways unlocked. The grain-growrr can
not duplicate tie same results by the
use Of concentrated commercial fcrti-
Ancrs- Anct maD kcsaoft- "a fpNas. " has
has been removed, or they may act as q
temporary stimulus for time but they
do not answer the purpose Of barn
yard manure. because they add nothing
10 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 10
consume the major portion Of the prod
ncts Of the farm j. keeping as close 70
the Kind mother as 1t Is possible to do,
and by judicIous use Of the manures
at hand can always have his land. nc
matter what he takes from il, in the
very highest productive state. And il
he dcvotes part Of II to the production
Of grain the yield will be sufficient q
secure him the largest compensation. -
Clcceidnd Herald.