The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14
YOUR SOIL NEEDS HUMUs.


The editor of the Southern Farm says
many farmers with naturally rich lands,
and who appear to work those lands well.
yet fail 10 get passable crop, and for the
life of them they cannot tell way. IN most
cases it comes of lack OF decomposed veg
etable matter in the soil, supposing the
lands to be well drained OF course soggy
and badly drained lands could not give good
results, even though every other needed
condition was perfection itself.
Emile Wolff states, in his Practical Gar
dering, that the reteGtive power which
fruitful soil possesses for the more I'M
portant plant-foods is partly dependent
upon the humus (decomposed vegetable
matter) also, even to 4 larger extent, upon
the clavey admixture in the composition
thereof. Humus plays a material part in
maintaining the productiveness Of the sell
for "A considerable length OF time, all the
moro on account Of its slow but constant
decomposition, whereby the vegetation is
supplied with the necessary quantity of food
during all the seasons Of its growth. II
is the part of the intelligent farmer, accord
ing 10 the composition o: the soil and the
manureS applied, in connection with the
climatic conditions, TO hasten or retard the
decomposition of the organic matter by all
appropriate methods, in order 70 obtain q
luxuriant and highly profta bic crop.
But the greatest advantage OF humus lies
in the property which it usually possesses
of improving the physical condition OF the
soil. By means Of fitting percentage Of
humus, that peculiar friable, mellow prop
erty is brought about; that medium phySi-
cal condition which induces a luXuriant
growth of the crop, assures the perfect
utilization of the plant food mixed with the
soil. and above all. fits the Land for profit
able and intensive system Of farming.
Clay is made friable by the in
fuence of humus, thereby also rem
dered more porous for the recention Of
moisture air, and warmth, as well as for
the expansion Of the roots; pudding and
the crusting OF the surface are prevented,
the perculating Of the superAuous water
into the subsoil and the ascent Of moisture
during periods OF dTOuth are facilitated,
the action of the weather upon the rocky
particles and decomposition of the organic
matter are intensified, thus making the
plant-food more available, the absorptive pro-
cess and the ingress of the suns warmth
into the deeper strata are expedited, and
activity of the soil, for the benefit Of the
crop in all its functions is quickened. On
the other hand, dry soils not held open by
humus are firmly held together and
cemented, as it were, b. every rain, to the
undoubted injury of the crop.
Almost any kind of vegetable matter,
well decompoSed, will prove of advantage
to the soil Some kinds are of more value
than others, of course. The leguminous
plants are supposed TO give best results, as
clover and field peas. The common weeds
or grasses of the fields or prairies make n
highly valuable addition to soils naturally
inclined to pack.
Some writers advocate what they call
following the field, which means leaving it
lying idle q season or SO TO grow up in
weeds or grass. There is nothing in this if
one has a use for his acreage and there is
outside litter near at hand that he can haul
upon it. The only gain TO be counted upon
by this fallow or rest is the vegetable mat
ter that will result. If the farmer finds
more to his profits in regular crop than it
would cost him to gather outside matter
and work it into his soil he had best gather
the matter and go on with his regular crop
ping. The effect upon the land will be the
same in either case Resting land'' is
simply another term for 'giying it hui
mus