Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-12-23
FARM DEPARTMENT.
now to Keep Up the Fertiilty OF Our
Farms.


LFrom an Address by Prof. W. +.
Brooks, Massachusetts Agricultural
Coilege)
The conditions contributing to make
our lands productive are numerous.
physical or mechanical condi.ions
.evt,,re drainage. wuter capacty' ctS.,
have as much 10 do with productNeness
ns does the chemical composition. ~, 49,
harding physical conditions hce piu ins
10 Hilgards system, there are t.i ~. vi
grades OF grits. sanas. ouss; ~ -
CLAW. Analysis has been made OF Asa
wan plain land OF poor feftility' OF Nie
Ninssacbusatts experiment station SOIL
rartIie and OF nearly ideal pnyslch
character. and OF the diked salt inefsn
OF Marshaeld, sodden In rains anu
baked In drouths. These analyses snow
the soil OF the experiment staVon 70
have a fortunate blending OF hnutsi
falls. securing good agricultural condl-
Hons. while tho other soils represent
two extremes; the Agawam soil too
much coarse, the diked marsh too much
fine material. Large applications or
manure may be probably made on the
station soil, while the use OF manure on
tho other sorts Of soil requires eau
tion. Thorough preparation ana care
full culture help amazingly TO keep up
fertility.
Soils have but very little capacity for
holding nitrogen In soluble compounds
as nitric acid and ammonia, while ord-
innrily phosphorus acid ana potash are
easily held. The bank which holds
the phosphoric acid and potash Is
"nolid," but not so with nitrogen. To
cndcnVor 10 accumulate working
nitrogen capital by the application OF
soluble materials such as nitrate OF
soda is folly. but such capital Is deslr-
able and It's accumulation In munures,
slubble and roots Of grass and clover
green crops to be plowed under etc,
Is sound practloe, Green manuring
cannot Increase the quantity OF phoa-
phOrlc acid or potash, ms the plant re-
durns only what II received from the
soil: neither does the plant prevent
their loss, az the soil has the capacity
FOR their retention. Az green maturing
plants are vigorous growfra the feed
ing roots are provided with an acid
which exerts powerful solvent action.
The myrlnds OF roots rlmify through
out the soil, dlasolving phosphOric acid
and potash as they grow.
Unoccupied soils In late summer ~
autumn lose soluble nitrogen. A grow
ing crop should therefore be kept on the
fields Green manurlng onnhlps the
farmer to conserve soil nitrogen 1t
cnAhlu8 him--tO adopt q sim
lle--t0 nut the goluble nltrntes
which ITS effective hand maids
warmth. air and bnctet4a. have been
producing under lock and key. nnd Ia
hold them there during ne period-
autumn, winter and early sprluF-yheu
that active thlef-heavy rain-lg tnosi
likely 10 nbaoond with tbpm a. an n.
luAtration, Indian corn finishes provJ-
ing By September 49, While growing
The roots stand ready Ia nh1,rb tbo
nitrogen as fast as liberated. mi thegc
roots become inactive al mo yoyv limo
rains are the most frpuuont ana MIR
gen for two months Is llltoIv IN he last
by teaching. As n prnycntlve me,
HOwn white mustard about Aueuat
and which grows untii Novcmbor
in the corn asld winter rye '', ,mny ~, ,o
B1wn n the land IN 10 he nn,,ssd ,,,,tt,
May 20. Don't allow bare Iand cItor
early poiatoca or ryc. n A ma r,,o,,
tlce. Pillow or harrow and AN, 80
cheap. qunk-growine sorI a. saw o,.o so ,i,o
housekeeping down mnraudint, y,oa ,,ig
and preventing the ihcgt nS nitr,, mgeu'
Clover pcnR' beans votcbns ''i i,,,',,
and few other plants obserb ni iTpirCS