Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-04-21

something in to draw against; and yet
this is exactly what this class of farm
ers do. They make their draft on
Mother Earth for each years crop, and
never think it necessary to make any
deposit with her as credit on their
overdrawn accounts. The reason for
this is not far to seek. In our compar-
Rtively new state the lands are fertile
for the most part; they have been so
cheap, as q rule, that it cost less to
break up new land than to restore or
increase the fertility of the old,
and the ways and means of
such restoration or increase has not
been generally known. These condi-
tions are, however, gradually passing
away. With the growth of population,
the value of land rises, and with the
increase in the area under cultivation,
comes the corresponding decrease of
the virgin soils; and the farmers them
selves, through the media of agricul-
tural colleges, the agricultural expert
ment stations, and the agricultural
journals and papers, are gradually
learning that If they desire the best re-
suits from their labors, they must not
only know something of the character
of the soil and the chemical constitu-
ton, but that they must assist nature
by proper rotation of crops, and by
restoring to the lands the elements they
annually abstract from it. Such only
may be called rational farming, and an
application of science to agriculture.
BY this term | do not want to be UNI
derstood as referring to "boolt farm
ing," as it is called by some, but to that
sort of farming done by men who not
only pillow and SOW and reap as other
farmers do, but who also embody in
their work the results of their own
studies and the experience of others.
In such method of farming, the
chemical and physical properties of
the soil are the first things that must
be known. Many farmers are kept
from attempting to learn this by the
unfortunate fact that they are met at
the outsets by a string of words or
terms which have no meaning to them,
and therefore convey no ideas to their
minds. They take up q work on agri-
culture, and looking at an analysis of
soil, they find that it is composed of
silica, alumina, phosphoric acid, potas-
sum oxide, calcium oxide, ferric oxide
and so forth and so on, and then they
know no more about it than they did
at first. These terms may be fully ex-
planned in some part of the book, but
even then the explanation is often just
about as plain as the words themselves.
Nevertheless since these are the ac-
copied names of the materials which
constitute the soils, and since knowl-
edge of these names, the elements
or combination of elements they repre-
sent and the part they take in the
growth of crops, is absolutely essential
in proceeding with the studies neces-
sary tor farming on rational basis, il
is best to master them at the start.
They would, no doubt, be more easily
understood and remembered if the En-
glish equivalents of each was given
with it. Thus, silica is simply sand
nlumina is the basis of ordinary clay
that is to say, ordinary clay is chem
ical combination of the base alumina
and the acid silica or sand, and we also
know it in combination with sulphuric
acid or oil of vitriol and water as alum,
and in the metallic state as aluminium
Calcium oxide is lime; potassium oxide
is potash; ferric oxide is simply iron in
the shape of iron rust; bones are
in q very large part, combi
nation of lime and phosphoriC
acid; and thus we might go on through
the entire list. In the soils these
constituents exist in variable proper
tions often very minute, some perform
one part and some another in plant
growth. by chemical analysis we learr
Just what each soil contains, and will
the rules laid down by the experience
of years it is possible to say not only
for what crops given soil is best
adapted but to know how long it will
probably last with production sucf
rs it should have and also the charac
ter of fertilizer which it will require t.
keep up the fertility to a given stand
ard or restore it when exhausted.
Thus agricultural chemistry ha.
much to offer the farmer. 1t explain.
many of the processes of growth. Il
shows him the composition of his soil
1t tells what is lacking in it and sug
gcsts q remedy, and properly under
stood and utilized will always be of in
calculable and increasing benefit in al
farming operations.
Yes Agricultural chemistry can de
all this; but how is the individual
farmer TO get the advantage of it on hi
o,;n farm? Soil analysis are are tie
dious and costly, and few farmers car
afford to have the different soils o
their farms analysed and reported on
and II all of them were able, where il
the army of agricultural chemists suf
ficient to perform such vast amour
of work? There must, therefore, b.
another source from which such lsnowl
edge of the composition and the condi
tons with which he has to do may b
obtained as will enable the farmer Il
secure for himself the success he seeks
1t is in agricultural geology, which il
the base of agricultural chemistry
and through it of scientific agriculture
e. F. Dumble, in Texas Farm ant
Ranch.