The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-11-26
! FERl'T1L1TY OF THE SOIL.

FERTILITY OF THE SOIL.
sCMe Practical Suggestions on Keep
ing It UP. # "a
IN reply to Inquiries as to how the
fertility Of soils could be best sustain
ed, Prof w. r. Brooks OF the Massa-
chusetts Agrlc u1tural College says
Soils have but very little capacity
for holding nitrogen in soluble com
pounds as nitric acid and ammonia,
while ordinarily phosphoric acid and
potash are easily held. The bank
which holds the phospheric acid and
potash is solid, " but not so with nitro
gen. 10 endeaYer to accumulate a
working nitrogen capital by the appli-
cation Of soluble materials such as nj
trate of soda is folly; but such capital
is desirable, and it's accumulation in
manures, stubble and roots of grass
and clover, green crops to be plowed
under, ETC., is sound practice. Green
manuring cannot increase the quantity
of phosphoric acid or potash, as the
plant returns only what it received
from the soil; neither does the plant
prevent their loss, as the soil has the
capacity for their retention AS green
manuring plants are vigorous growers,
the feeding roots are. provided with an
acld which eXerts a powerful solvent
action The myriads Of roots ra1nify
throughout the SOIL, dissolving phos-
phoric acid and potash as they grow
"Unoccupied soils in late summer or
autumn lose soluble nitrogen. A grow
ing crop should therefore be kept on
the fields Green manuring enables the
farmer to conserve soil nitrogen. It
enables him-tO adopt simile-to put
the soluble nitrates, which his effective
landmarks, warmth. air, and bacteria,
have been producing, under lock and
key, and to hold them there during the
period autumn, winter and early
spring-when that active thief. heavy
rain, is most likely to abscond with
them. As; an Illustration: Indian corn
finishes growing by Sept 15 While
growing the roots stand ready to alb
serb, the nitrogen as fast as liberated,
but these roots become. inactive at the
very time rains are the, most frequent
and nitrogen for two months is likely
to be lost by teaching, AS preventive
.I .haVe' sown, white mustard about Aug.
l, and which grows until Nov. Is in
the cornfielH.. Winter rye may be sown
it the land is to be unused until May
%. Don't allow bare land after early
potatoes or, rye. 1t is bad practices:
Plow or harrow and SOW some cheap;
quick-growing seed to cover the field,
keeping down marauding weeds and
preventing the theft Of nitrates.
Glover, peas, beans. vetches, lupines;
and a. few other plants absorb nitrogen
from the, air. The supply of nitrogen
In. the air is exhaustless and nitrogen
is, the, most expensive plant food.
Through the agency of bacteria, which
develop In little nodules upon the roots
of the plants named above, atmos-
pheric nitrogen is assimilated For
success in growing these air nitrogen
users the soil must be well drained and
pulyerized, potash, phosphoric acid and
lime, must be in plentiful supply, as
must the germs of the proper bacteria
and but q small stock of available soil
nitrogen. If the proper bacteria are
absent the plant is poWerless>to use at
mospheric nitrogen Every crop has
two values; food and manurial. Pillow
the crop in and the entire manurial
value is obtained, while if fed wisely
the full food value and four-ffths of
the manurial value are obtained. Food
value plus the cost of handling crop
and manure under conditions prevail
ing in Massachusetts,, will generally be
greater than the full manurial value,
hence the. wisdom of feeding rather
than turning under a crop which farm
stock will relish. Whether the crop is
pastured or cut and fed green makes
no material difference. The manurial
effect Of roots and stubble of a green
crop, is always considerable .F5
To the above may be added the. fol-
lowing from Prof. Barley Of Cornell, a
native, Of this state, and graduate of
the Michigan Agricultural Colleges:
Farmers do not appreciate the inn
portance of humus! as an ameliator of
land. In farm lands it is usually ap-
piled in the form Of green crops, Stub
BILE or sward and barn manures. When
humus is absent sandy soils become
too loose and leachY and hot, and clay
soils bake and become lumpy. A Lit
tie better culture would suffice in ,nnany
cases to Hibernate, in all probability,
enough mineral matter to secure max
imum crops. In case the production
was not quite as large as desired, then
small expenditure of money for pot
ash and phosphorie acid would keep
the land in it's normal condi tion.''
Shredded Corn Fodder
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