The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-12-29
snow t~ Il Fertilizer.

Inc opinion prevails: Sel-fa!ly t-luouS
farmers, that snow IS quite fertilizer to
winter grain crops. The opinion, doubt
less, migrated with our ancestors from
Eng Gland TO Virginia and North Carolina,
and thence to the more southern states,
as population moved southwestern rly.
That snow greatly benefits grain crops
in those regions where it covers the
ground the greater part OF the winter,
there can be no shadow Of doubt. Bat
how? In the first place by protecting It
from cold. Absurd, says one, TO say that
anything covered with snow is protected
from cold. Why snow itself isa terribly
cold thing. Admit it is a pretty cold
thing, but its temperature need not be
lower than 80 degrees, and the ground
under it need not be colder than 81 de-
grees. Suppose just before the Snow
fall the soil of Il wheat field freezes
slightly. \ light freeze would not hurt
grain. Now cover it up with SIX to ten
inches Of snow, and let the weather turn
very cold. Let the thermometer drop
down to ten degrees, or as it sometimes
does to zero. What then? VIII the
soil temperature sink down to those
figures? Not at all. The loose, porous
snow checks the escape Of heat from the
soil, just as Il good fur keeps the heat
from escaping from an animals body,
and the soil retains its temperature of
approximately thirtytwo degrees. The
wheat plant is kept about as cold as it
would be in a nice frosty morning, Just
cold enough for little ice to form. 1t
is protected from the zero cold, and
from (what is of more importance stilD
the cold, drying winds which invariably
attend these severe spells Of cold. The
destructive influence of cold winds on
vegetation is apt to be overlooked. 1t
intensities the cold very much and, as
pointed out in former article, IS often
the cause Of death in plants. Snow, then,
effectually protects crops from extreme
cold and from cold and drying winds.
But does it not do more than that?
Does it not really enrich the soil; Is It
not really fertilizer? Notmuch. Snow,
like rain water, contains q little am
monia; but only little. In numerous
cases, all the snow and rain water which
falls in year, upon a given area, have
been carefully collecte! and examined;
the amount Of ammonia in them ascer-
tanned, and the calculation made as to
how mach ammonia would thus be car
ried into the soil of an acre. The largest
amount thus determined has been a very
little over ten (10) pounds per acre, the
smallest about four ~ pounds per acre;
and the most careful observations lndl-
cate that the average amount OF nitrogen
Cboth as ammonia and nitric acid) which
an acre receives from rain and snow In a
whole year, IS only about five (5)pounds,
representing or equivalent to SIX (G)
pounds of ammonia. Snow does not
carry into the soil any more ammonia
than corresponding rain, all OF which
soaks into the soil. 4 fall of ten inches
of snow is about equal to one inch OF
rain, which is a good soaking rain: Now,
divide six pounds Of ammonia by the
number OF rainfalls in a Year, and see
how little ammonia would be carried
into the soil by one rainfall OF one snow.
Thirty rains IN year would make one
rain or snow carry one-tiftL OF apound OF
ammonia into the soil of an acre, or not
more of that substance than three
pounds of cotton seed meal would sup
ply to an acre; and ammonia IS the only
fertilizing material which snow contains.
1t is obviously, therefore, a very poor
fertilizer, though it MAY greatly benefit
crops by the protection 1t affords against
cold. At the North: where SHOW takes
the place of rain, the winter leacLinG Of
soils is greatly reduced, because the
snow melts in the spring and cuns oil, IN
great measure, without soaking in.o Tie
frozen ground. With us it does not re
main long enough on the ground 10 pro
tect grain 10 any extent; neither ,toc& 1t
take the place o: ram sufficiently 10
diminish the teaching OF the soil III a..
appreciative degree.-W. l.. j. IL the
Atlanta Constitution.