The morning news., 1897-07-26

iness. Farmers are far too conservative
and slow to take hold of any new ideas,
hence the reason OF the hard times the
most of them are experiencing. and the
study of the increasing of the fertility of
his soil don't trouble him much as a rule
The experiment stations of the various
states working hard and earnestly to
help the farmers in every possible way by
instructing them along the different lines
of crop growing, ifnprovins their soil tell
ing the best kinds of fertilizers 20 use,
and in every possible way trying TO help
them. l was very much impressed with
this lately while on a visit TO the North
Carolina experimental farm at Southern
Pines, in that state. Their mode of pro-
ceedure on that farm is 20 give an object
lesson to the farmers Of the state of what
can be done by judicious and systematic
fertilzing.
The land on that farm is of the poorest
quality (at least it was so ian its virgin
state) but the manipulation of the various
combinations of nitrogen phosphoric acid
and potash to suit the crops or fruit trees
(as the case might be- conclusively prove
that where little science is applied to ag-
riculure the results are astonishing. This
experimental farm work shows conclu-
sivey what ] have all along advocated,
that the farming class does not use enough
of potash salts in their farming opera
tions. 1t is a curious fact that all our
fertilizer manufacturers that pretend to
cater to the farmers wants, will not use
enough of these potash salts to give a
properly balance ration in the way OF
plant food. Take the analysis of almost
any crop on the farm and the ratio of
the plant ash of phosporiC and potash is
as one to three. The fertilizer manufac-
turer exactly reverses this and makes it
the other way as a general rule, that is,
three phosphoric acid to one of potash
IN farY hn Il ,f,,
ash has even been doubled in many cases
and always to an advantage. Here is the
secret of maintaining the fertility of the
soil, using the proper kind of fertilizers
and rotating the crops in such a way
that when a crop is harvested Il leaves
the soil richer than when it got it, This
is a wide subject and deserves treatment
at the hands of ahler men than l am.
but the keynote of it hes in the manage
ment of crops succeeding each other that
Will leave the soil in good mechanical
condition; in no way can this be done
easier and better than by green manur-
ing for nitrogcnous matter and by apply
ing minerals for phosphoric acid and pot
ash.
In our southern soils where the upper
soil is thin and the subsoil of a sandy ma
ture, the only real solution to the question
is keeping the soil well supplied with
humus; this humus may not of itself
be of much value as direct fertilizer,
but it acts in a satisfactory way by
absorbing the potash applied and giving
it off to the plants wanted. Humus
has been compared to a sponge holding
the necessary plant food until il is wanted
by the crop on the land. Another great
drawback to the fertility of the soil is that
the farmer is, as a rule, too stingy I'm the
use of fertilizers. They also wait until
it is too near planting time, before they
apply them. l have always got the best
results from potash fertiizing applied
months before planting The farmer need
not be afraid of its teaching OFF in the soil.
it won't do that, it viii assimiate itself
with the soil and be ready for business
when it is called for. All farmers should
study these matters thoroughly, for there
in lies their salvation; the laws that regu-
late the supply of sunshine and rain are
beyond his control, but all other condi-
tions essential to a fertile soil are certain
ly at his command, and it is his duty to
avail himself of them, by a judicious and
libekl use of what a bountiful providence
has provided. Old man Solomon hit the
nail on the head 5000 years ago when he
gave utterance to the proYerb that runs
THIS:
There is that scattereth and yet in
creaseth, and there is that withhodeth
more than is meet, but it tendeth to pow
erty"
This suits the farmer of to-day just as
well as ever it did if not more.