The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-01-09
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
Conservation of Fertility.

tinued cultivation with different crops and
types of farming. 1t has fine field for such
work in that region Of good natural fertility.
The chemist, Prof Snyder, reports upon the
essential elements Of soil fertility. on humus
as factor of fertility, the action of organic
and mineral acids, and q comparison of differ
ent methods Of farming On the conservation
of soil fertility
An average Of 200 samples from various
parts of the State shows O. 20 Of a per cent. of
potash, equal to 10, 600 pounds per acre to the
depth Of one foot; OBS of a per cent. of
phosphoric acid, equivalent to 3, $50 pounds
per acre to the depth of one foot; and 217
per cent. Of lime, or IS, 600 pounds per acre to
the depth of one foot The investigation
shows that the continuous cultivation of grain
crops without farm manuTeS OF proper rOta-
ton has resulted in the loss of 80 to 50 per
cent. Of the total decaying animal and vege-
table matter known as humates. With the
loss Of humuS there has been a corresponding
loss of nitrogen, and decrease of available
phOsphates and potash associated with them.
The use of well prepared farm manure, and
rotation including grass, and especially
clover, will prevent this decline of humus
and nitrogen in the soil
Striking examples Of fertility are presented
cultivated in wheat without manures for is
successive years, with slight decrease Of
nitrogen and humus. in which potash. phOs-
phoric acid and lime are still present in
liberal quantities Another sample was from
soil under cultivation for 46 years, mainly in
corn. wheat and cats, with very little manure.
yet having O.19 of one per cent. Of total
nitrogen and $50 of potash. 1t is gratifying
to notice the number Of samples which has
received dressings of mnures or the benefit
of clover in rotation, by which normal fertility
has been we'll sustained.
A comparison is made of different methods
of farming, in which the conclusion is reach
ed that in grain farming, where no stock il
kept CT manure applied, the grain sold and
straw burned, on a hundred acres of wheat
yielding 10 bushels per acre the loss Of
nitrogen is $500 pounds, phosphoric acid
$500 pounds, and potash 4, 200 pounds.
In mixed farming, with eighty-five acres Of
grain, twenty reserved for feeding, ten cows,
four young cattle. fifteen sheep, eight hogs,
four horses, and two steers and all the straw
used for bedding, the loss of nitrogen is re-
dueed to $500 pounds and I 900 pounds each
of phOsphOric acid and potash.
In stock and dairy farming under condi-
tlon5 named, there is very little loss of fer
tility, and may be gain This is where the
grain produced is fed, and small quantity Of
milled products OF other food purchased.
Tables present in detail the particulars of loss
from products sold, and the gain from feed
purchased, showing how these conclusions
are reached.
Decline of English Farming.
The failure of English farmers. which are
ron cd tltp 9Th
show a steady increase from year to wear. In
1891, 304 farmers failed with liabilities
amounting to 81 ,720, 900 in 1892 the fail
ures numbered 3S3, with Liabilities of 50. BIO
OO0 in 1893 SO, liabilities s.. 300 GOO in
1894, 518 but amount of liabilities increased
to SO, $50 000 The past year, with world
wide low prices for grain and live stock. will
probably record another increase in the failure
list. With such a record as this. and an esti-
mated decrease in value of English farm lands
and capital of over three billions of dollars
since 1915, there can be no. two opinions
about the decline of English agriculture. The
English farmer cannot compete with North
and South America and the Colonies in grain
and meat production, and it does not seem
now that he will ever be able to do so again.
Carcass Competition.
The NOrtt-British AgrieuIturia says that
some time before the Smithfield show of last
year, the London butchers, a very powerful
and wellOrganized body, requested the coun-
ell of the club to institute carcass competi-
ton in connection with the show, urging that.
in a vast proportion of cases, the principal
honOrs went to animals wastefully fat, and
very Improbable to the buyer
when they came to the block The council
rafi1Ca6 to licfor, 70 no
the butchers ruthlessIy boyeotted the show.
with the result that vast proportion of the
prize-winners, instead of being sold at fancy
prices, as such animals usually were at that
show, were hawked about all over England,
and finally sold at very ordinary prices after
a great deal of extra expense had been in
Cured by their owners. One such lesson was
enough for the council, and they fastened to
make arrangements for carcass competition
in connection with the show this year. The
result OF this competition has fully proved the
of the butchers and is also, ac-
cOrding to our Scotch contemporary, great
triumph for the GallOways and Highlanders
According to the cOmmOnly-accepted canons
Of Judging by the hand and the eve these
breeds never get even ''lOOk inn for the
leading hOnOrs at Smithfeld but when it
comes to n carcass competition, in which the
animals are judged according to their fitness
Tor the use for which they are designed, they
carry the lions share of the hOnOrs.
Experiments With TubercuIous Cows.
Calves dropped by tuberculOus cows, as
shown by the tubeTeulin test, and fed on milk
rom Neutrality-suspicious. COWS, showed no signs
If consumption. But healthy calves taken
rom Neutrality-suspicious. cows, as determined by
est, and fed exclusively upon milk from
,Ows far advanced with tuberculosis. became
uberculOuS. In both these experiments at
he Iowa station the calves were killed when
hTee months old So far as the experiments
70 they show that milk from tuberculous
,ows produces the disease, and that tubercu-
osis is not hereditary. Other experiments in
his line are now in progress there In every
ase where tuberculosis has been discovered
N Iowa. it was in cattle that were kept in
lose stables, with more or less complete alb
ence of sunlight, poor air, and little or no
xerciSe.
Burning Dry Leaves.
1t is very common in some places to burn
he leaves which collect in low places while
hey are dry and will burn readily. This is
serious waste of fertilizing material which
n most orchards is worth more as q mulch
han as a fertilizer. Leaves are rich in potash,
fielding much larger per cent. Of this min
raj than does the body of the tree The
caves from fruit trees are especially valuable,
hough if the orchard has not been sprayed,
nd its foliage has become affected by mildew,