The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-01-08
FOREST LEAVES.
Their Value - Fertilizers for the Earn
Orchard and Garden.


Their Value - Fertilizers for the Earn,
Orchard and Gardsa.
II is reported that large number or
beautiful and valuable trees in Kew gar.
dens and several of the parks near LON
don have died from some mysterious
cause during the past few years. Il
was thought by those who had charge
Of the grounds that they had received
the best of care. It was certain that
great pains had been taken in pruning
them and in removing all the branches
that presented sickly appearance. In
most cases grass had not been permit
led to grow over their roots. Expen-
sive fertilizers had been applied to the
soil where they grew, sometimes on the
surface and sometimes below it. Dur
ing periods of drought water had been
applied to the ground occupied by the
trees. Observation, however, showed
that the trees of the same varieties in
neighboring groves and forests that re-
ceived scarcely any attention were in q
very healthy and vigorous condition.
They were growing finely. with only
such care as nature gave them, while
those in the parks and botanical garden
were dying. 1t then occurred to some
one that natures way with forest trees
was the best. The park managers way
was to rake up all the leaves shed by
the trees as soon as they had fallen to
they would not injure the beauty of the
place. Natures way, however. was to
allow the fallen leaves to accumulate
over the roots of the trees and to re-
main there until they became decom-
posed. At first they only serve to
mulch the ground, to keep it moist by
preventing evaporation and to prevent
the growth of grass which apprOpriates
plant food, which would otherwise 20 to
sustain the trees. Gradually, however,
the leaves decay and form the best fer
tilizer that has yet been found for pro-
noting tree growth. They contain not
only humus but all the alkaline sub
stances essential to the support of con-
tinual tree growth.
Leaves arc valuable for other purposes
than fertilizing the soil about trees,
shrubs and bushes. They contain all
the mineral constituents of plants in
the proper proportion. Unlike most
fertilizers, they can be used without any
of the dangers arising from an excess
or deficiency of some ingredient essen
tial to plant growth. As wheat con-
tains all the substances necessary to pro-
duce every part of the human system,
so the leaves of trees contain all the in
gradients required to furnish food for
most kinds of plants. They constitute
a safe manure for every kind of plant
in any stage of its growth. Some kinds
of fertilizers can not be applied to soil
containing seeds or very tender plants,
because they would prevent the gcrmin-
alton of the first and cause the death of
the last. They contain too much free
ammonia, and sometimes too much pot
ash and lime. They can only be applied
to hardy plants in an advanced stage of
growth. They are too stimulating for
young plants. Decaycd leaves, how.
ever, are never injurious to seeds or the
plants that spring from them. They are
mild in their action. They are free
from the seeds of grass and weeds that
are generally found in all kinds of stable
manure. They are very lasting in their
action. They decay slowly, and the de-
composed portions constantly furnish
plant food. Leaves that collect and
rot in forest furnish the best soil for
filling tiower-pots that are to be kept in
the house. They are also excellent for
placing in gardcn-beds where flowers
and vegetables arc to be raised. De-
cayed forest leaves impart no offensive
taste or smell to vegetables like radishes
and lettuce that are eaten without being
cooked. They form an excellent fertil-
izer for squashes, melons and cucumbcrs.
They retain moisture well. and will alb
sorb large quantities of liquid manure
and soap-suds. When placed in hills in
which vines are to grow, they should be
troddcn down SO they will become COM
pact.
In the West, where much of the land is
flat prairie, and where powerful winds
prevail during the fall, most of the
leaves that fall from the trees are car.
ried to places where they will be of no
benefit to the farmer, gardener or
florist. They are blown into ponds,
streams, ravines and bitches, where
they become incorporated with the mud.
In Scotland forest leaves are utilized for
fertilizers. In many places they are
raked up and placed in heaps, which are
covered with sod. There they are al
lowed to remain until they become de-
composed. In some cases they are
forked over two or three times year
with view of fastening their decom-
position. They arc often applied in the
condition they are in when raked up to |
clayey land and plOwed under. They |
are of benefit to a clay soil by render.
ing it lighter, and by adding to it SUBJ
stances that aid in promoting plant
growth. In some places forest leaves
are used for bedding cattle and horses
and for putting into the yards and pens
of pigs. When they become saturated
with liquid manure they will quickly
rot. and become converted into a most |
excellent fertilizer. Decomposed forest
leaves form one of the best manurcs for
fruit trees, grape vines, bushes that pro-
duce fruit. and ornamental shrubs.
They are also excellent for both sweet
and common potatoes. It is often easy
to collect large qualities of leaves in the
corners of fields by weaving hazel and
other bushes between the wires that
constitute the fence. Leaves often ac-
cumulate in considerable quantities in
ravines and gather on the farm and in
the deep bitches by the sides of the
roads. They can be taken from them
late in the fall with little trouble and
placed in heaps where they will be con-
verted into good manure. The heaps
should be covered with turf, which will
prevent the leaves from blowing away,
will cause them to settle close together.