The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-02
Preserving the Fertility Of Cultivated
Soils.

E9OlA5s
Soils that were naturally rich, such as
our oak and hickory lands We're when
first opened for cultivation, allowed of
being cultivated on the extensive plan
for many years without the application
of artificial fertilizers. But continuous
cultivation along with the action of the ele-
ments at last exhausted all their natural
fertility. and it became necessary to re-
sort to fertilizer or either discontinue
their cultivation in hoed crops. Some of
our soils in the south, as well as in the
l0Ulaujs of the Ohio and Mississippi
basin, were originally so rich it required
from twenty TO thirty years of uninter-
rupted cultivation in hoed crops, like
cotton, corn, tobacco and cane. to eX-
haUst their fertility to a point that
rendered them Improbable for further
cultivation without the use of manure
When the humus became entirely ex-
hausted from them the soil was naturally
regarded as worn out.
Chemical analysis shows that in these
so called worn out soils exists though in
an iusoluble form. Consequently I'M
available large quantities Of nitrogen,
potash and phosphoric acid, the three
essential elements of plant food, but as
they are so locked by up certain, or rather
unknown. chemical agencies they might
as well not be there so far as any i'm
mediate use can be made of them.
While science has not vet
discovered any chemicals, the simple APP
pllcaton Of which in reasonable quantity
Will unlock these locked up stores of fer
tiIlty, still science, or its hand maiden,
common sense, has pointed the way for
cone in years time.
Restore to these worn lands only
small proportion of the humus or humic
acid they originally possessed and they
Will produce profitable crops. A few
years In grass land clover mixed with it,
or giving the soil the vines of few pea
crops will effect this restora ton generally.
u we need the lesson taught by older
countries we will find that as a system of
'noed crops impOyerishes the soil that
system gives way to pastoral farming, a
STYLE OF farming that involves and en-
forces Increased attention to improved
pastures and meadows and stock farming,
as a matter of course, implies an increased
quantity Of animal manure, rich in humus
and nitrogen
When our soils become impoverished or
worn IRON long continuance in crops
requiring clean culture such as we
nave named we have only to devote them
10 grass such as our Bermuda,
ana clover, such as Bur and
Lespedi and some other nitrogen-pro-
UuceIS Tor several years and then with
lne ana OF comparatively small quantity
oi mineral matter-pOtash and phos-
puoflc aeld-they will still be capable Of
Go4uclug very profitable crops of one
KIND or another.
alter soil has once been exhausted fully
Oh It's humus, it requires very iudicious
management thereafter to make it pro-
u.ge satisfactory results.
Anefe is only one natural reasonable re
soIC III such cases, and that is TO give the
eo.' up 10 permanent grass and clover for
lie" Years. Humus cannot be restored
ds So much mineral matter can be
restored. 1t must be grown on the soil
alton
- % make the restoration of permanent
e1teJ tountifGl supply of vegetable
.aalter or humus must be given the soil
az Vn.e. After a sufticiency of the vege-
glo-5 matter has become completely de-
imposed, converted into humus and hui
, ,.lC dl'o, then it will need only a reason
~ supply Of mineral matter annually
o Fi d j ear or two to make the soil capable
VI producing profitable crops, as it did in
N"e beginning
r Lo2k at the lands in China and Euro
Ecu Countries, that have been under the
r I Tor hundreds of years. The
t,oE1e OF those countries have
ago learned the art of
st;I ing fertility when lost, or better
t5g. a- ID. conserving fertility to the soil so
tI1~y us capacity for producing a profita-
we crop never falls below certain point.
'"'asu this NAV vary sorupyVbot from
more or less.
o.-,l waited soils ia warm climates like
p our, have their humus exhausted from
IN sooner than those of colder climates.
mug mug Two influences, sun and rain, are
ror,L "drn!ul In the south than in the
H., w. an u behooves a southern farmer
ac, more INTELLIGENT efforts TO counter
a., 'Ae4 than it does the northern
d. tt... L. orCuuately we have the means TO
.as =. eiudl TO the emergencies of the
Th, 80. IL we only avail ourselves of them.
m .nI!ous cloyers (winter growers) now
fer1 disposal are numerous varieties Of
nIr',il,'e7aS summer growers) and equally
mai llouS varieties Of annual and peren-
j-e', asses the latter especially, which
b.-''s our unequaled Bermuda.
i, ~ o. timely use of one or more of these
ME- quite possible 10 keep the soil sup
fo,, ~. " .1u broken doses of vegeta BILE mat
intl hnlch IN the process of conversion
uror 81 , iilills influence the action of oxygen
rar=- .He lhsoluble mineral elements, thus
and rlI9 fertility in the only economical
EN- !ouai manner that it is possible to
ana ~ ia on any extended scale. Real
4 W. -'9Clng fertility can be restored 10
hi SOILS economically only by growing
ON1sSary matter on the soil