Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1894-05-16
atmospheric Manure.

Mr.. A. 3. Bartlett, in a foreign con-
temporary, in relation to atmospheric
manure, says: If nothing Is wasted in
this world there is an abundance of
fertilizing material to be drawn from
the atmosphere, for in the decomposi-
ton of material, or in burning it, a
large part Of the substance passes off
into the air in the form of gas The
air is almost as great an absorber of
material as the loose soil, and we must
make demands upon it for fertilizers
to help nourish our crops 1t seems
like ar-fetched theory at first glance
to attempt to get manure from the air,
but on closer examination we find that
it is something that we have been
doing right along. Our growing plants
probably draw more nourishment from
the air than we realize through their
leaves, flowers and stalks. Without
air they would quickly die. 1t is from
the atmosphere laden with the gases
and mineral elements that plants get
most of their nourishment, although
we have an idea that it all comes from
the soil. Now the question is how can
we draw more of this fertilizer from
the air for the use of the crops. Every
rain and snow that falls upon our
fields carries great deal of manurial
element down to the ground. where it
is absorbed and retained for future
use, or washed away. Why is it that
land that is left fallow for a number
Of rin
fertile? Soil that we could grow
scarcely any good crops on fire years
ago is profitab BILE land probably to-day,
although nothing has been done to it
but to let it remain idle. There are
two causes for this One is tl.lt the
unavailable plant food in the soil has
become available by chemical pro-
cesses, and the other that through the
action of atmospheric changes upon
the soil it has been enriched by new
fertilizing matter. All this is true,
and many farmer has left his land
to fallow so that it would be better
later. BY giving it rest it produced
more. But there is something more
essential than even rest, and that is
exposure of the sub-soil to the action
of the air and storms. Many soils are
enriched by simply turning the
sod over with the plow and
leaving it exposed to the air.
1t may not always be advisable
on rich, well-fertilized soil to pillow in
the fall of the year and leave the soil
thus exposed to the elements Pro-
badly more fertilizing substance would
be lost through washouts and under
ground teaching than could be gath
cred from the atmosphere. But there
are many poor soils on the farm, soils
that have not been heavily MANFRED
for years, and soils that have been
titled until their strength seems all
exhausted. Expose the undersoil of
such land to the elements. Let the
rains and SHOWS fall upon it and the
air will surely deposit new material
and decompose that in the ground, so
that IN year or two crops can be har-
vested readily from it. Many fields
can be greatly benefited in this way
Simply pillow them up and leave them.
Nature will do the rest The. air and
wind will get down into the particles
of earth and completely transform
their chemical nature. They will be
better fitted for growing crops then
than if they are left just as they are
after the last hay or corn crop was
taken from them