The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-12-04
song REMARKS ON THE PRES
EMIT CONDITIONS OF
OUR SOILS.

NIX AOSB SOA
experiment stations have been trying
70 solve the great problems. what can
be done to our soils to restore them to
that state of cultivation that existed
when they were fl 81 settled, to bring
barren plains to state of fertility, and
TO increase and improve the crops as
well as improve the SYSTEM of cultiva-
tion.
It is a hard task they have under
taken, for at every step they are met
with difficult problems that can only be
worked out by years of study and ex-
pertinent.
Every soil must be studied and ex-
perimented on to find its requirements
and it's suitability for different crops.
The chemical composition of the
plants which are grown on the soils
must be ascertained in order to find out
what is removed by each crop, as far
as it is possible to judge by an analysis,
the composition OF the soil must be
ascertained to see if there is an ample
amount of available plant food to give
another crop an abundant supply Of
nitrogen and those ash ingredients
which are essential to it's vigorous,
growth.
When the New England settlers first
landed at Plymouth Rock and under
took to cultivate the soil and raise corn
on the barren coast, they were told by
the Indians that if a fish was buried in
every hill of corn the crop would be in
creased. They followed the advice
given them and obtained the results
predicted, yet they were probably even
more ignorant of the reasons why such
results should be obtained than the Pc
FuVian Indians were when they applied
guano to their soils to increase its fer
tility. In fact the Indian seemed to be
better informed as to the benefit of lib
oral fertilization than are some of
farmers of the present day.
To thoroughly understand the pres
emit condition and requirements of
soils, we must know something of the
formation, character and composition
Of soils in general.
Soils are formed of disintegrated
rock mixed with d~ecOmposed organic
matter, debris, etc. To understand
how this disintegration takes place: If
we go to the foot of a mountain or
rocky cliff we will see above us i'm
nense powders, soma covered with
moss, some with stunted plants grow
ing from crevices in them, some with
hOlloWs worn by the gradual trucking
Of water, while at our feet we see the
sand, powdered limestone or whatever
may be the composition of the rocks,
which has been loOsened and carried
down by the numerous forces Of nature.
The same process has been going on for
years In the rocks under the soil be-
meath our feet and you have the soil
thus gradually formed. The seeds car
ried by the wind, probably, on this
newly formed soil, take root, grow and
die, leaving the organic matter in the
soil. Vegetation springs up all over it
and the rotting leaves the twigs and
disintegrating inorganic matter in
Oreases it's fertility until we have a
rich and productive soil, if the organic
materials are so portioned as to render
il easily drained buG not too porous, as
it will have all the necessary plant food
available and in abundance.
This soil will then contain in greater
Or less quantities the following sub
stances: Silica, alumina, iron, lime,
magnesia, soda, potash, sulphuric acid,
Phosphoric acid, carbonic acid, nitro
gen, chlorine, organic matter and
water.
The plants which grow on the soil
contain all these ingredients except
alumina, which is only found in a few
MOSES and Elichens, and will o grow
at all without most of them. Silica,
iron and soda are always found in suH
Oient quantities, but phosphoric acid,
nitrogen, potash and organic matter
are not by any means always present
IN sufficient quantity or in available
form to supply the needs of the plant.
For those two substances which make
up the greater part of the ash of the
plant, potash and phosphoric acid, are
the least abundant of the soil constitu
Onts.
The soils of the United States, especi-
ally in the older portions, have been
cropped and cropped, without any of
these ingredients which are taken off