The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-02-05

may occur ana the
degree to which it
may be prevented. The porous charac-
ter of most soils is doubtless chiefly
responsible for the fact that within the
memory of farmers still in active bust
ness the belief was general that
very material loss of soluble plant
food was inevitable from most soils
whenever the supply furnished was
much in excess of the immediate needs
of the crop to be grown thereon. II
soils really leach, the lost or leached
material of course escapes in the
water draining through the soil. Care
full and systematic study of drainage
waters, both by the use OF the iysi-
meter and the tile drain during the
past few years shows first that the
actual loss of nutriment in drainage
waters is far less frequent than was
supposed, and second the character OF
the waters gives definite knowledge
of the kind of nutriment carried away
by them and the conditions under
which the loss takes place. That
the danger of loss is greatly exagger-
ated is well demonstrated by my own
personal experience. For two entire
growing seasons a fertile sandy loaln
showed absolutely no loss Of plant food
at depth of three feet, that is, not
a trace Of either phosphoric acid, nj
trogen or potash reached three feet
deep in the percolating waters. AS
most plants send their roots to great
er depths than this it is evident that
there was not only no loss from the
soil, but that all the nutriment APP
piled, or within three feet of the sur
face, was accessible. The important
question now is: Under what conditions
does teaching occur and how can loss
from this source be prevented? 1t is
now accepted that nitrogen is the only
one of the three food essentials which
is susceptible to teaching to such IN
extent as to render it's loss of mate
rial consequence, and this loss is ex-
elusively of nitric acid. This, however,
is the last and final form of nitrogen
and the only one actually taken up
by the crop. All other forms or sources
of nitrogen must be decomposed aud
nitric acid be formed before assimi-
lation can begin. These other forms
including all fertilizing forms or
sources Of nitrogen except the nj
trates, of which nitrate Of soda is the
only one of commercial Importance to
the farmer, are under no normal soil
condition acceptable to the teaching
property. It therefore follows that
these forms of manures or fertilizers
may be used in any quantity and at
any time desired without danger of
loss from teaching. In using stable
manure the important practical fact is
that the manure once incorporated
with the soil becomes fixed beyond the
possibility Of loss, since nitric acid
formation is so slow as to never eE-
coed the power of a crop to utilize.
Nitrates, on the other hand, being
susceptible to teaching, should be ap-
piled only to meet the immediate de-
mands of the growing crop lest loss
from teaching follow. The finer the
soil particles in any given case the
greater the absorbing power and the
less is the probability of loss. This
fact explains the absorptive power Of
much soils, rather than,as is commonly
supposed, the presence of high humus
content in such soils. AS already, init
mated phosphoric acid and potash are
not capable Of teaching through agFi-
cultural soils under normal conditions.
bic is that the germ shrinks in the
shell, so that when it swells with
moisture during the winter and spring
the seed cannot burst the hard cov8r-
ing in which it is enclosed.-Ex.
Ihls fact is due to the absorptive pow
er of soils for these substances and
their compounds. The important fat
In this connection is that the soil con-
stituent exerting strongest force In
this direction is the silica, which COM
POSES so large part of all soils. These
soils high in content of silica, of which
sand is typical, are usually of coarse
texture and are those usually eonsiG-
cred as especially susceptible to leach
ing. 1t appears, however, that leach
ing of two Of the three essentials OF
plant food is actually prevented by the
presence of silica or sand. A very i'm
portant practical result of these facts
Is that potash salts can be applied SO
early as to overcome any possible evil
effect from the presence of chlorine on
certain crops and yet no possible loss
from teaching follow.
H. 3. Stockbridge.