The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-24
Fertility end its Restoration.

The stock of fertility which exists in pro-
ductive garden soils. though generally
large, is, for the most part. in very insolu-
BILE form, says J. j. Willis in the Gardeners
Chronicle. For tance, the combined
nitrogen which is the product of previous
vegetable aud organic life forms the chief
source of nitrogen for the future growing
plant. Before it is assimilable by the plant.
however, this combined nitrogen undergoes
process of oxidation which is due solely to
q living organism within the soil. The
1eitrdteS thus formed are absorbed by the
plant when its manuring properties are
exceedingly active.
The mechanical operations of blowing,
digging, raking, hoeing, etc., which take
place in garden have for one of their OBJ
jects the promotion of oxidation and the
formation of nitric acid. Abundant crops
depend very much upon the capacity of the
growing plants to take up the few pounds
per acre that is produced of this most i'm
portant ingredient Of plant food. AMI the
skill of the gardener is displayed in so ar
ranging his methods of culture and course
of cropping that the nitrdtes so liberated
shall be a source Of profit instead of loss.
Sir j. B. Lawes describes fertile soil as
one which is competent TO nberate consid-
cradle amount OF active nitrates from its
store of combined organic nitrogen; while
an abundant season is one In which the crop
is enabled to cake up all unusual amount of
this active nitrogen. But il the amount of
fertility liberated by the bacterian organ
isms or nitric ferments, as they are some
times called were sufficient to produce full
crops there would Re no necessity for apply
ing manure. 1t is quite evident that such is
not the case.
Some soils, it is true, require but little aid,
owing to their inherent richness; but there
are others-more especially these of light,
sandy character-that are almost entirely
dependent on the fertility they get from ex-
ternal sources. Practical experience has
shown in different districts and on different
classes of soil what is required to grow full
and remuuerative crops.
The first problem, therefore, which
gardener has TO solve, we take it, is to pre-
serve the present stock of soil fertility, and
TO increase the accumulation of plant food
for future use. 1t is true that the stores of
mineral food-potash, phospnoric acid, lime
and the like-in the soil and subsoil of our
best garden soils accessible to plants are
very great, and it would require many years
of cultivation and removal of crops to en-
tirely exhaust the supply, yet we may fairly
assume that the system of Horticulture
which leaves the soil in an impoverished con-
dition is certainly not an economic one TO
follow.
Auropos to the suggestion of Mr. Willis
in reference to the effects upon the SOIL OF
the bacterian influences at work therein. we
never before realized so fully as we have the
past year the marked effects upon soil from
the operations of the earth worm upon it.
In walking through fields that were not be-
ing cultivated this year, and through the
pine forests of the section, even during the
drought period of June and July the soil
was found extremely porous and loose from
the presence and workings of the common
earth worn-the Lun.bricus terrestiS of
the entomolgists. The soil everywhere was
as soft to the tread as if it had been recently
plowed. The little mounds of voided soil
occurred so close together as to render the
soil almost Doggy just after rain-in some
cases a dozen of them, perhaps. more to the
square foot. The surface sol to the depth
of six. eight or ten inches was perforated
| with the holes of the worm, aud the aera-
tion of the soil to that depth was complete.
Others may have noticed the unusual pre-
| valence OF the worm the present year. No
imprement of mans manufacture could
nossibly have put the soil in such perfect
Condition for the free entrance of the air as
| tine burrows of this little worm had accom-
nlished il Here nature provided the means
most thoroughly for the entrance of the air
SO necessary to the unlocklpg OF elements
that must remain insoluble without its
presence to aid in the process or dislntergat-
ing the mineral store house. To the com