Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-06
%nriruItural Department.
Tur FIELD. FARM AND GARDEN.

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Tur FIELD. FARM AND GARDEN.
We solicit articles for this department..
-boname of the writer should accompany
tho ,atteror article, not necessarily LOT
rrhlication. but as evidence OF gooo taltn.
teaching Soils in Florida and Else
where.
Florida contemporary says: "Many
,oonle are laboring under the impression
hot Florida soils are leachy, but that this
"a a great mistake. II the Fertilizers are
Ioocbed into the soil they will enrich the
snbsoil but they are not found thus. en-
.iohod Bear in mind that the
f,rtuizers you apply can get away only
,ron, the surface, and that they go in two
rovs by washing and by volatillzatiou,
chiefly by the latter. Therefore don't put
vorr fertilizers on top and scratch them
!, Int turn them under the surface-not
deenly or you fall into worse evil-but
lightly"
Onr observation is that nature knows
more about this than we do, and expert
once but draws us closer and closer to her
methods. 1t dawns upon our mind that
she has written beforehand every lesson
wa are TO study In this world, and that all
our learning, after all, is but the finding
her out, That she does not enrich the
subsoil from surface manuring is not very
certain, but that she applies all her vege-
table or humus fertilizers on the surface
is questionable.
What part of this the subsoil receives
bv teaching or by the combinations OF its
minerals is not exactly known, but some
subsoils are rich and strong from her ope-
rations of centuries. Where others are
mot thus enriched, it has been more for
the want of materials on the surface, per-
hars, than from the waste of washing and
yolatilization. The scratching in" pro-
cess seems to us to be nearer to natures
method. and as most plants feed princi-
pallv at the surface, it would seem to be
putting the fertilizers where they would
be the most available. The surface seems
\ TO be natures chemical plane OF opera
ton, and whatever materials she has de-
posted above or below, they are drawn to
this laboratory for manipulation and util-
4 jzation, each plant sending it's rootlets
there to receive its share. II the mate
4 rails are abundantly supplied, that Is to
4 say, If the supply is greater than the de-
mand of vegetation, the soil will grow
I richer and richer until the subsoil also is
reached, when it must certainly partake
/ of the accommodating fertility. Turning
under deeper may do very well 10 some
cases, since no rule absolute has been
\ drawn in the depth Of fertilization; but
/. 1t seems evident that the lightest cover
ing consistent with the protection of ma
4 nipulated fertilizers is best adapted to the
8rapid growth of our crops. If scratch
ling" means failure to break the soil then
lit is an error, as no amount OF fertilizing
Twill be sufficient for an unbrOken soil ;
Nbut once thoroughly broken to proper
&depth and fortified as near the surface
Has practicable, the conditions OF crop
Hgrowth are met.
We are aware that successful cotton
growers have applied guanos very deep,
a under the Impression that they were in
debted to this for the large and deep
growth of its taproots, which, of course,
gave corresponding growth to the plant
above ground; but, in fact. the fertility
at the surface, with such as could be
drawn up from where they placed it,
alone made those tairoOts possible. The
suriace feeders are engaged in sending
blown the taproots at We'll as in sending
up the fruit stalks, both extensions pro-
4ceeding from a common centre, which is
1he surface; the one to supply moisture
#from greater depth in time of drough
and the other to take in the wholesome,
Ennuences Of the atmosphere.