The San Saba weekly news. (San Saba, Tex.) 18??-1???, 1891-11-27
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
rEEMINo LIFE IN THE SOIL AND
ITS INFLUENCE.
why Vegetable Mulch is vaIuabIe-Re-
suits Of Feeding Roots-Use Sc
lectcd seed-Farm Notes
and Home Hints. sssz


The Living Soil
Some Of my readers may say that
this is strange term to apply to the
brown clods which the rude swain
turns with his share and treads upon,
writes W. F. Massey in the Practical
Farmer. They see that living things
grow out of this brown soil. and are
apparent 10 the eye, but TO speak Of
the soil as living. they do not comprc-
bend. But the term may be truly &c
used. This brown mould on the
upper surface of our fields as TAI
down as cultivation enables the ali
to penetrate, absolutely swarms with
life both vegetable and animal,
in such minute forms that to the or
binary vision, unaided by q micro
scope. all seems lifeless. These low
forms of life have a wonderful influ-
ence upon the fertility of the soil. and
on the health OF those living upon IT,
Darwin long ago showed the wonder
full amount OF work done by the earth
worms which every one can see but
it is only in recent years that the work
OF the microscopic forms OF plant and
animal life in the soil has been made
apparent The animal life in the soil
is mostly apparent in earth worms,
the Larvae and pupe OF insects. etc,
but the unseen forms of vegetable life
are infinitely more numerous.
Fungi, whose reproductive organs
are Of large size like the mushrooms
aud puff balls, are, Of course. very
apparent but low down In the scale
Of vegetable life countless millions of
plant organizations, occur in this
upper soil, making it one mass Of life.
Fungus forms Of plants arc divided
into two general divisions. 1st Those
which get their sustenance from living
organising and which are called para
site fungi ID Those which feed
upon deoaying organic matter and
are called saphrophytic fungi. To
this class belong this mighty multitude
in the living soil. We are all familiar
with the effect produced by the
growth of one Of these saphro-
phytes, known as the yeast plant the
rapid growth of which. in solutions
containing sugar, is the cause
OF alcoholic fermentation. All through
this living soil, uncounted mil
lions of similar plants arc pro-
ducing fermentation of other char
acter, particularly what is known as
the nitric fermeut producing nitric
acid in the soil. These, and forms
still lower and more minute. are ac-
lively engaged In promoting this nj
trio fermentation. Bacteria, so small
that one thousand could pass abreast
through the hole made by fine sew
ing needle, increase in fertile loan with
a rapidly almost inconceivable. and
aid materially in the process. But the
greater part probably. of the nitrifca-
ton In soils cultivated in regular rota-
ton Of crops. is caused by vegetable
fungus of higher order than a bae-
terlum and at least of a partly para
site character This is small uni
cellular fungus found to inhabit GER
tain tubercles or swellings upon tho
roots OF clover and other leguminous
plants. This is the organism which
gives this class Of plants their great
value as renoyators OF fertility in the
soil But the lower forms of bacteria
arc found to be wonderfully active in
soils ebounding in deeayed organic
matter. These nre truly saphro-
phytic and their action in keeping up
the nitric fermentation furnishes an
other argument for the practice OF
vegetable growth in the soil.
a crop of field peas o. clover by
means Of the higher ferment associ-
ated with them in their roots. acoum-
nlntes a large amount of nitrate. main
" nitrate Of potash. while the decay
Of their tops buried in the ground fur
nishes food for myriads Of the bacte-
rial forms TO continue the process
The presence OF these bacteria in de-
;aying vegetable matter accounts for
he benefit derived from the covering
IF the soil with a vegetable mulch.
iuch as wheat straw Many farmers
n large wheat growing districts have
ound the most profitable way
O use their straw Is to spread
I ct once on the surface of the
oil. Land covered in this way
Turing the latter part of the warm
ieason and the following winter is
ound to have accumulated a much
anger degree OF fertility than can be
for by the mere decay of
he straw. The abundant food given
o the nitrifying bacteria promoted (
heir growth. nitric acid was produced.
nd this seized on the otherwise in
oiuble potash IN the soil and two i'm
.oriant elements Of plant food were
ormed. On the other hand, we see
low soil, kept exposed year after
ear in the clean culture OF cotton,
'ecomes dead poor literally. There
) no food for the nitric ferments. and |
he term dead poor is truer than we
cay think. and nitrogen must be
ought In expensive fertilizers that an /
Intelligent course OF culture would
ave provided almost free.