The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1886-02-25
A9ritultural.
PRESERVATION OF THE SOIL.

tenn of cultivation practiced upon our
large farms, before the war, has left
us a legacy of poverty in the soil.
The natural increase of the labor,
under the system of slavery, made
corresponding demands for open lands
and forests were mercilessly slaught-
cred, and fields, falling in maximum
yields, were left to be washed away
by the rains and SCARED into gaping
gullies. In many places the pros
pect now is unsightly and the out
look for intensive farming is not full
of hope, at least upon the face of APP
pearances.
1t is a great satisfaction to know,
however, that nature has done much
for our soil, not only in its original
fertility, but also in its power to re-
cover itself under proper methods
and judicious manuring. The state
ments already presented to our read
ers as to the possibilities of our sec
ton, and the actual results upon the
farms of the State, are "a sufficient
guarantee that farming will pay hand
somely in Georgia.
To raise good crops upon our roll
ing lands, proper attention must be
given to the preservation of the soil.
If year after year the land is to re-
ceive a deposit OF expensive plant
food in the shape of commercial fer
tilizers, farmers must not be content
to take the single crop it may furnish
and leave the residue of manure to
be washed into the branches and
creeks before another crop can be
grown. If the soil does its best SER
vice, its resources must be husband
ed. Cultivated fields must be pre-
served from the tramping and graz
ing of stock, protected against the
washes of the rains; they must be
made to absorb and hold all the plant
food put into them. The matter of
soil exhaustion has gone far enough
with us, and it is time now we had
called halt. The farther we 90 in
to evils of any kind, the more diff
cult we find it to retrace our steps.
More and more is this matter press
ing itself upon us, and we are graft
fed to find a corresponding response
on the part of farmers at the South
Our people are awakened to the ne
cessity for a change in the care and
improvement of the soil; the results
are satisfactory and profitable.
The first evil to be guarded against
is the washing of the heavy rains.
Terraces and bitches are objected to,
because of the amount of land they
occupy and the attention necessary
TO keep them in order. This ques-
ton involves simply balancing of
expense as between keeping up the
Notifications against waste and al
lowing the land gradually to pass
away. a little expense distributed
through each season will, in the
course of few years, make soil of
magnificent capabilities, whereas neg
lect in this way will bring about a
barren waste OF sterile, unproductive
fields Terrace your lands to save
the soil, and then see that all the
blowing is done in such manner as
to preserve, rather than drain off the
plant food
Soils are exhausted Just as animals,
by overwork and insufficient food sup
ply. a continual taking out and
never putting back would eventually
exhaust the sea. Changing crops
from one field to another rests GER
tain elements of the soil and puts
others to work regular rotation, fol-
lowed by abundant manure supplies,
Will not only preserve, but improve
our lands
Begin this system at once build
up, strengthen and preserve the soil,
increase its capabilities, enlarge its
productiyeness, intensity all its pow
ers, reduce the area of work to such
limit as can be easily comprised, and
let the soil of the farm show its pos
sibilities under judicious, intelligent
care, and abundant yields will be an
nually secured. So. Cultivafor.