The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1893-06-29
FARMER AND PLANTER.
OUR OLD SOILS.
What to Do With Them to Fit Them for
Cultivation.


In the older sections of the south
much the larger portions of the lands
| adapted to tillage have been opened up
and cultivated until they have ceased
to produce profitable crops even with
| the aid of fertilizers.
Of course there is still goodly area
of forest land in every county in the
state as there is in every other state.
Much of this forest land is as good as
any that has been brought into cultiva-
ton, but this land will probably be the
very last to be put into cultivated
crops, as it lays along the rivers and
other water courses, and it will be use
less to attempt it's cultivation until con-
siderable work has been done in the
way of constructing levees, and in many
cases digging elaborate bitches, that is,
considerable money will have to be ex-
pended on this land before it can be
put in shape to produce money crop.
| Farmers owning this land have, as a
rule, been too poor for the past fifteen
years to spend the necessary money on
these lands to fit them for cultivation
and for the splendid meadows and
|
to make when they are once cleared
and protected from overfows ,'H>
The remaining forest land away from
the water course is, as rule, poor, and
the only inducement that it can offer
for clearing is for the sake of pastures
and for the timber, either as fuel or to
be manufactured.
The land that has already been
cleared and cultivated for many years
must continue to be the main depend
ence for all future farming. Much of
it ceased years ago to yield profitable
crops. A very small proportion only
will do that now without the aid of
commercial fertilizers. Artificial en-
richment of soil must ever be regarded
as precarious. Unless the rains come
at short intervals more or less damage
results to the crops.
Land that has been cultured until
its humus has been almost exhausted
can retain but little moisture and only
for a little while compared to what
was the case when it was well supplied
with humus. Rolling lands that are
destitute of this essential matter, de-
cayed and decaying vegetable sub
stance can not possibly be profta BILE
for cultivation.
And yet, sad to relate, here in middle
Georgia, as elsewhere, of course, are
lands still devoted to hoed crops that
were absolutely worn out fifteen years
ago. One tenant takes charge of such
land farms it year and fails, and an
I ~ or 49,. no
fails, and SO it goes on from year to
year. Sometimes the landlord gets his
rent and sometimes he does not; but he
is willing to rent to anyone who APP
plies. In doing this he may be regard
ed as doing both himself and his tenant
a wrong-an injustice. He should do
it no longer. This land deserves rest.
Even if the owner does not farm it
himself, .or does not have immediate
control of it himself, he should see that
it gets it. He should rent it only upon
conditions that it be allowed some
chance to recuperate. This can be eff
fected to some extent by requiring a
rotation to be observed that will give
part of this land each year to fall
grain allowing the land to grow a crop
of weeds following the grain. or he can
stipulate for crop of peas to follow
the grain the total growth of vine to
be reserved entirely to the land. Some
thing has got to be done towards re-
storing the humus that has been ex-
hausted from the land. If the owner
is farming the land himself he must
realize that it is waste of time and
involves a clear loss every year to 20
on cultivating such land in its present
condition. Now and then, as the sea-
sons may prove supremacy favora BILE,
this land gives ''spurt," so to speak,
and yields a very profitable crop, and
this encourages the farmer to cultivate
it another year and another, only to get
a poor and improbable crop-a fair
crop one year in three, perhaps, being
about the way of it.
We repeat land of this character can
be brought back into condition OF
fertility, justifying its cultivation, only
by restoring the essential humus to it.
1t must be planted to crops that afford
the largest quantity of vegetable mat
ter possible, to be given to the land.
| vi COURSE Gue OeSG plan. ny lar, TO OD
serve with this land is to devote it tc
permanent grass and clover and raise
pork or beef or both. A farmer may
not choose to act upon this advice
Still it is the only advice that can be
given. Land that is much run down as
is the case with at least 70 per cent Of
that that has been continually cult
waited since the war can be restored tc
it's original condition of fertility only
through the m cans of grass and clover
persistently grown upon the land for G
number of years, the decaying roots Of
the plants annually increasing the sup
ply of humus in the soil and while do
ing this yields good profit on the in
vestment in the shape of pork, beef OF
mutton, or hay may be produced fol
the good of the work stock or a part O.
it sold and the proceeds invested in fer
tilizers to be used in promoting the
better growth of grass and clover
Southern Farmer. r
Gil TiVATING Mel 0NC