St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-03-20
the suenuAA,o oELr..

THE SUehONAio SELF.
ysaiars's Laboratory where she Pssfssn
Her Crop Producing Faaesiesa
In the south they have the black belt
of land, in the north the corn belt. and
In the west the wheat belt: but east.
west north and south there exists .
greater and more important soil belt
than al the others combined-indeed.
none of these could exist and produce
without this-the subhumid belt II
II only about six inches in thickness,
and lies directly between the depth Of
two inches from the surface and .
depth Of eight inches. This is the
laboratory in which nature 10 mys-
teriously performs most Of her func-
tions necessary to crop productions
and without this particular workshop
the earth would be barren waste.
Our title says ''subhumid belt" Sub
means under and humid moisture, or
dampness. This belt. then. Is under
two inches Of surface soil, whose chief
Office is or should be to act ~ .
mulch-a shield to protect sly nature
At work in her laboratory from the
gaze of inquisitlve or unwelcome
guests. The inventor, to prevent in
trusioo. places ON his workshop door:
mo Admittace;" and nature means
tho same thing BY choosing to cloak
her operations with IN earth covering
or mulch. The latter seems to have
little or no other purpose, for ~ 4
rule plant-roots get their nutriment
beneath this.
This belt IL humid-moist. It Is an
infiexible law of nature that plants,
like human infanta, can take nutri.
ment only in solution. Infants would
starve with only solid food offered
them, and SO would plants Plants
could no more consume . lump of fer
Utility than babe could q slice of bread.
This belt, then. must have moisture.
and that permanently. or plants will
not flourish. Moist to-day and dry to.
morrow would not answer the purpose.
1t is more important to have this belt
in proper condition as to moisture than
it is a. to fertility. because without
moisture nothing would grow.
One OF the chief aims of tho farmers.
then. should be to preserve moisture
here. To pillow the ground eight inches
or moro in depth will furnish q reser.
voir for water to 30 supplied by rains
and melting SHOWS. But here q guard
is needed. Long continuance of too
much water is as bad as none. There
should be suitable drainage to convey
away a surplus. Pour a child's Gun of
milk into barrel of water and it
could not take enough of the dilstior
to sustain life. Capillarity of soil is
too little needed. When fine enough
for growth of plants it is full of pores,
or holes. and by capillary attraction
moisture will travel in all directions
This Is illustrated in tho oil.lamu
where Oil seems to climb no the wick.
For this operation the earth must
not be too fine or too coarse. II as fine
~ dust. all the pores are obliterated;
aud if in coarse humps, attraction il
not powerful enough to take moisture
from one lump TO the other. Soil in
what is called good filth" is in the
right condition. provided the particle,
are sufficiently pressed together.
There should be no cavities or clois in
this belt. for they would defeat ca mil.
larry action. Some moisture will enter
this belt from the hard earth beneath
1t. but the main dependence is upon
that which falls from the heavens,
hence the necessity of the reservoia
described. which is SO deep in the earth
that, with proper prcaution. little more
moisture can escape by evaporation
than IS supplied by the hard earth be.
meath the belt.
| by that proper precautiou." o1
course, Is meant . dust blanket. OF
mulch Of the first two inches of the
soil. This completely obliterate. ca.
pillarity through it, and moisture car
not escape from the subhumid bel,
by evaporation. Aud here lies q hid
den rock on which have stranded
myriads OF farmsrs' ships of fancy
They do not properly prepare the sub
himid belt. and then protect it with ,
dust mulch. Example after example
is reported where by the aid of these
two features excellent crops arc grown
even in the driest seasons By Judi.
cious management one may be said e
be almost independent Of weather con
ditions. A pleasing thought II tina,
We never hear of anyone ABANDONING
the system after trial or speaking iii
Of it.
Tooperate right, the subsoil must b
somewhat compressed. Capillarity car
NOT occur in q very loose soil. Let tn,
haNow-teeth be set to enter til,
gropnd two inches. Then, after plow
ing, harrow thoroughly until the sur
face is thoroughly fined. by this tim,
the tramping of the team will hav,
properly tirmed the subhumid belt, .,
that capillarity can occur, and the I'm,
planofoots get firm hold. Any after
cultivation to be the Same depth O
two inches. Corn and potatoe,
to be cultivated Is soon aftel
every rain as the ground II
dry enough. No crust to b,
allowed to remain longer than it cas
fairly ba broken up. This system in
wolves 4 great deal Of work; but it Il
labor taalt pays large dividends, fol
| .'cultivatdon is manure. young man,
and when rightly done. it It better
than manure without cultivation
Small grains may yet be planted il
drills, and then be cultivated a. corr
is Cultivation conserves moisture
largely increases crops. makes better
and happier farmers, and il = persona
reminder of tho divine words: ..Thor
shalt eat bread" etc.-Dr. Galen vii
son. in Farm and Preside.
| AE0E Ann rheoe