St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1896-12-26

| gwen Them by those who are working
in their interest. 81 progress made
| by farmers, however. is gery gradual,
as it requires a year or more to demon
strate facts that have been presented.
and there are many details to be oh.
served according 10 climate, soil
and other conditions, which pres
vent farmers from adopting radical
changes TOO hastily. Many of them,
however, fail to recognize that a gain to
the soil is profit as well as the sum
derived from the sale of crop, and
that when the soil is enriched il then
contains additional wealth or invested
capital which may bring in satisfac-
tory returns in the future. This can
not be refnted, as every farmer knows
tnat fertile farm is more valuable
than one that is impoverished, and
That poor farm requires an outlay of
capital to restore it to its proper con-
dition. while the other has CAPITAL w.
ing idle in the soil, but safely in
vested.
In all soils is an abundance of cer-
tam plant foods, though there NAV be
"a deficiency of some kinds; vet this
abundance, like gold in the earth.
must be mined and brought to the sur.
lace. It is useless until made ayaila-
Die, and to obtain it is an object which
should always be kept in view. The
roots OF plants are useful agents for
that purpose, as they go down into tba
subsoil and bring plant food to tina
surface. This can be aecomr,l;sbad
by growing plants, because they
are capab bic OF secreting or.
ganic acids which dissolve the
lnsoiubie substances of the soil.
which are Immediately distributed
through all portions of the plants.
Farmers who grow clover are aware
that clover eariches the land and that
lt can utilize potash in the soil to bef-
ter advantage than by the use of nitro.
gen, yet it is nitrogenous plant and
returns nitrogen to the soil when
p1oWea under. The advantage Of
growing crops TO be turned under
therefore, depends upon their capacity
OF dlssoiviag inert matter in the soil
and making the land more fertile bv
rendering the plant food more ayaila-
BILE. A.a4-e =
Ihe soil may be well supplied with
nearly all kinds Of plant food. br1t II |.
impoverished in proportion as any one
su bstance may be lacking. lust as
ehaln Is strong only in proportion to
the strength of its weakest link. IfI
there is purchase of some fertilizer
winch the soil does not require, the cost
g the farmer will be increased above
the sum really necessary to sunnIv
his land. This may be demons
by referring to the fact that as clnva,
takes potash from the soil and nitro.
gen from the atmosphere, a potash, fer.
l1llzers Will be cheaper for the land
that has produced clover than will . |
supply OF nitrogen; but all crons that
produce , seeds will be benefited by
phosphates, though even in tl1ess
cases much depends upon the kind of |
soai, and forsthat reason there is no |
possible mode of treating ali farms
alike, which renders it irnperat;ve thah /
every farmer study his soil and ab. I
serve the conditions to which it is sub.
.Jeet. When there is an abundant
growth of wood with intense fol;aaa
nitrogen is seldom lacking in the soil
and It the stalks of plants are strona
ana eile seeds wei filed out and
plnmp, lime, potash and phosD Dn or;e
acla @ may not be required These yples
are not ln1alllble, however, but they
WILL assist the farmer TO a certain ~.
tent when he has under & onsiderauioa
the matter OF procuring fertilizers.
Philadelphia Record.