The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-29
Humus VS.. Drought.

In these discussions about the benefits
derived from humus applications We must
not forget the one great service which
humus renders to the gardener in holding
moisture during a dry spell of more than
ordinary duration, says the Pracd-
cal Farmer This year, as usual,
we had our dry SPELL the rains going all
around US for while, and leaving the
soil in the vicinity hot and parched.
Some of the crops, as, for instance, my
sweet corn on clay loan that had been
MANFRED in the same way as farmers
but the crops on manure-hlled soils had
usually apply manures, suffered badly,
but the crops on manure-field soils had
plenty of moisture right along. My last
years celery patch had the manure piled
on pretty thickly, as manure was used
for mulch and banking between the ire
Bile rows. The appcat ton was probably
equal to a three or four-inch covering of
the entire surface. This manure, when
put on last year. was rather coarse and
fresh, but by this spring had all rotted
down to a fine mold and in the course
of usual working of the soil-plowlng,
replowing, narrowing, etc.-was thor
oughly mixed with the SOIL and now
forms with it a loan that is abundantly
supplied with humus. Here all garden
soil is loose and mellow, and when kept
well cultivated Ian easy task in such
SOLD you will find nice moist soil right
under the stirred surface layer (when you
push that away with hand or FOOT, even
after many weeks of dry weather. On
ordinary SOIL even that which we have
used for gardening purposes for years, and
which we thought to be In pretty good
condition, and fairly well supplied with
humus we found It almost useless to at
tempt setting plants or sowing smaller
seeds during the hight of the dry spell.
Whatever pains were taken in setting
the plants, with or without the use of
water at or after the operation of setting
them, the plants invariably failed TO take
hold in the ground and were burnt up IN
the hot sun. Small seeds 01ale, turnips,
lettuce, endive, etc), could only be made
to grow by unusual care in firming the
soil over the seed But we had none Of
these troubles in the old celery patch
Here IL was easy TO make newly set plants
live or small seeds grow. II short. we
have this spot that is so abundantly sup
plled with humus under full control al all
times The only danger Is that the crops
run away from us, or rather overrun
the land The plants, especially running
vines. cabbages, ETC., grow 30 large that
they win suffer from lack of room unless
planted much further apart than would
he advisable and most profitable for or.
binary soils.
We cannot learn this lesson OF the value
OF stable manure, and OF the great SER
vices which the humus In II renders to the
gardener IN the respects mentioned too
thoroughly. Let me repeat that the most
satisfactory results which have ever Sc
cured IA my gardening operations, and
the most profitable crops were obtained
from soil that had the most applications
Of stable manure.
on the other hand I viii not deny that
there are soils on which such applica-
lions could not easily be- dispensed with.
80 far nn the preservation Of moisture
goes, the ful supply OF humus found IA
our mueky soils viii render the same
service which me hpmus IN applied stable
manure win giYe. Tlleas muck lands may
be treated Win mineral mahuree, cs-