The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-09
THE MORNING NEWS: MONDAY. DECEMBER O. 1895.

TO our agricultural prosperity.By a sys-
tematic saving of much Of the material,
which IS often wasted by even intelli-
gent farmers, We can at nominal expense
return 10 the soil much OF that which is
taken from il in the different gathered
crops. All vegetable and animal accu-
mulatiOn round the barns and stables.
the FOWL houses, fence corners, the wood
pile, even the ashes and Stops from the
houses. and the leave, which so often
accumulate in unsightly heaps around
our dwellings, may be considered so much
ready material from which we form COM
pounds Of equal value with any CONNER
cial fertilizer that We buy al such heavy
expense. In the present condition Of our
agriculture we cannot discard CONNER
cial fertilizers. We must still rely On
these. and, judiciously used, they con-
tribute largely TO our success.
Our mistake has been that we have
depended too entirely on these. and con-
signed to useless inactivity the rich stores
of plant food that accumulate on every
farm. These should constitute the prin-
cipal factor in any plan of fertilization.
with the commercial goods as an ad
junct. rather than the reverse. In max
ing a compost heap, a good plan where
leaves are abundant and close at hand
is to put layer of leaves about Z inches
deep, then layer of manure. about six
inches deep. then a layer of scrapings OF
rich earth six inches deep. II ashes or
lime can be had they will aid materially
in the decomposition of the heap. Put
on the different LAYERS. packing down
firmly, until the heap is six or eight feet
high, keeping the sides well squared up
and the middle a little lower. If there
should not be sufficient rain, dampen
the heap by pouring on water. In the
spring. just before time to haul out 10
the fields, tear down the heap and mix
thoroughly. The real cost of such a heap,
say about y feet square. would be equal
to about a ton of guanO, but intrinsicaly
ii would be worth at least twice as much.
The fields which are covered with mass
of vegetable growth should be turned un-
der as soon as possible in order 10 give
the mass more time TO decOmpoSe. 10 not
turn under too deeply. the decay will take
place more rapidly near the surface. There
are on an average many more bright Work-
ing days in December than ia January or
February, which is another reason why
the work should not be delayed. If the
blowing is to he done in a cornfeid, when
the fodder and corn have been pulled and
the bare stalks left standing there is Of
ten much difficulty in completely covering
the stalks. They remain partly on the sur
face. and becoming only imperfecty de-
cayed, the benefit of any plant fool they
may contain is lost to the succeeding crop
Their presence is also hindrance to thor
ough and neat work. As long as we con-
tinue the present plan of gathering cur
corn, and stripping the fodder from the
stalks this difficulty will be encountered
and until we settle on some more ecOnom-
zeal plan of saving the stalk entire we
must consider the best methods Of getting
these stalks in condition, not only to hene-
fit but to interfere as little as possible with
the cultivation of the crop which tollOWS.
4 good plan. which has been successfully
tried is to select a frosty morning and run
2 heavy twO-hOrse roller over the held.
The stalks being brittle, viii FREAK OF
more easily. and the roller in passing over
them not only forces them into the ground,
but the heavy pressure fattens ana breaks
them apart in such way as to give lreer
entrance to moisture and frost two pow
erful agents in breaking down their struc-