The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-05
Nature Teaches EcOnoINy-Jtunus
The Great Indispensable.

II has been my opinion for many years
chat there is no soil so fresh and so rich
tbat cannot be made a little more pro-
ductfve by the application of some min
al clement in a highly soluble condition.
II NAV be either potash or phosphoric
ocid that can be thus applied to advant-
are And it depends, too, upon the char
acter of the crop grown, whether for It's
seed. such as a barley or bean crop, or
cabbage or tobacco crop. The processes
If nature are thoroughly economic and
economical Even in the richest soil
soil that is supplied with the basic ma
ter'als for the production of hundred
crons. involving as many years cultivation
of the soil we believe there is only GER
tain small percentage ever at one time
IN that condition of solubility that t1tslt
for digestion by the growing plant. This
food for many crops is there, but 1t is In
a constantly varying condition, alternat-
ing between that condition of solubllity,
the essential condition for availability, as
food and that of insolubility, a locked up
condition as much so if it were a matter
of hot cakes behind the locked door of
the pantry and the key thrown away. The
cakes might as well have had no exist
ence whatever is a wise conclusion of the
hungry urchn. The key must be found
before the cakes are available. In the
storehouse of nature there is also a key
that unocks the supplies of those abso-
lutely essential elements known as min
eral elements. Humus or humic acid is
this key. So long as it exists in the soil
in abundant quantity as it does in the
freshly cleared soil of all hardwood for
est land, there is little probability that
there will be any deficiency of those es-
sendal elements. The latter will most as
suredIy be there for the use of any crop
that may be grown. All that will be
needed is the necessary moisture, either
of rain or irrigation, to put the FOOD in
that form of solution that the plant re
quires it to be in, so that it can be alb
sorbed. Here we find a wheel within
wheel" There may be abundant ele-
ments of food in the soil, but it must be
made soluble before it can be used. And
then it may be there soluble, but it will
still need moisture to put the soluble
dement's in state of solution. Just as
We would dissolve a dose of bromide in
glass of water rather than attempt 10
take into the mouth the acrid soluble salt.
Everything must go into the plant in a
safe of solution.
You may put a great lump of manure,
having in it food sufficient to make a
dozen perfect plants, in few inches OF
a healthy plant, and the plant may and
will die of starvation if the lump of ma
nUre is its only reliance. But break this
lump into many pieces and scatter II
evenly about the plant, and then supply
water to wash out whatever may be food
of plants, and existing in soluble condi
ton, and perfect growth will result.
1t may be accepted as a truth that just
So long is there is left in the soil any of
its original humus or there is any eX-
isting from more recent application of
vegetable matter that soil is several re-
moves from being exhausted. It is capa-
bic of rapid restoration to pristine fer
tility with comparatively little effort and
expense. In proportion to the amount OF
humus and humic acid still present in the
soil, there will be more or less available
potash, phosphoric acid and other mine
raj elements in any average season where
there is reasonable alienation of rain and
dry weather, especially the latter If not
protracted to an extent to become injuri-
Gus. | assume that the crop is cultivated
and the time and manner of cultivation
judicious.
There are two periods of time, or rather,
two conditions of soil, when no change,
either chemical or mechanical, goes on
when the soil is soaking wet and when 1t
is very dry-bone dry almost for the first
elght or ten inches In fairly drained soil
saturated condition cannot continue long
after the rain stops, and it is only in
periods of protracted rainfall that satu-
ration can continue for any considerable
number of days. When soil gets as dry as
just suggested, drought has become in
furious, If not fatal, to the crops being
grown. Fortunately this is exceptional
And so long as dry weather does not reach
point entailing actual injury the effect
Is beneficial to the growing crop. A chem
zeal change is effected in the soil while
1t is reasonably dry that renders availa-
bic the elements Of plant food. Potash
and phosphoric acid rendered soluble and
nitric acid formed. The next rain comes,
makes a solution Of the food and the crop
makes an almost magical growth. As old
farmers would say, They could just see
the corn grow"
II IS a wise provision of nature in be-
half of economy not to have too much I'M
locking Of her materials of fertility at
any one time, for 1t would imply great
waste. 80 by one process she unlocks and
by another locks. How these processes are
but enough has been learned of the chem
lstry Of the soil TO justify the conviction
tnat the condition OF the nutritive elements
are constantly changing from a soluble
condition to an insoluble and vice versa.
one process locks and another unlocks,
ana THIS precludes the idea OF any great
waste of valuable clements through tie
action of Teaching" the most wasteful
influence Of all II at any one time there
was a great quantity OF the valuable ele-
ments existing in a soluble state, the Ices
would necessarily be great. II ] under
stand the matter correctly, there Is In all
arabic soils an almost inexhaustible sup
PS OF the basic mineral elements. potash.
pnVspnoric acid, magnesium, lime, etc,
dha al that Is needed 20 render these In
sIhlcient quantity for use Is the presence
Oh reasonable amount OF humus. humic
acid ana oxygen will do the rest
Nitrogen Is the only element that Is like
~ TO be wasted by teaching. but there Is
AiWdys a fair supply OF this most valu-
evis element wherever there Is humus
AND y there is plenty of ths mineral ele-
mehts IN available condition, there Is al
iHoat invariably sufficient nitrogen espe.
.lally " the crop be cultivated, 20 on is
sphere.
A. nc great want of our long-used soils
~ humus. AS that Is supplied from wear