The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-18

ing have been destructive Of fertility. This
IS especially true OF grain growing where
gain - always sold from the farm instead
OF fed OF it. The great amounts OF pnos-
plate which farmers in every Wheat-groW-
ing region are now compelled 10 buy prove
this. All the tine such farmers were rals-
ing and selling wheat a. their main crop
the supplies OF phosphate, potash and nj
trogen In the soil were beng drawn down.
Only the fact that nature checks nan :
greed. this process would go Oh unt4 the
soil fertility was entirely exhausted. crops
are gradually decreased until the slme
comes when the available fertility on the
soil VIII not produce paying crops. So
soon as tins is the fact the price Of land
rapidly declines. Yet such land may have
abundant supplies Of fertilizing elements
in sucn condition that crops cannot get
them Some times il as only one element
that is lacking. Then TO supply this
for tine makes the land apparently as
good as IL ever was But all The time
there viii be depreciation Of soil fertil-
ity ia other elements not thus supplied.
Il viii thus he seen that making a farm
fertile while stil making II profitable as
farm Is a more complicated process than
would be thought. Yet the farmer has an
I advantage which If improved more than
Offsets MS difficulties. The dearest OF all
the elements Of plant food IS nitrogen, and
A4i-c N1AA re Increased II the SOIL Dg grow
ing clover, peas and otner leguminous
crops. Then only phosphate and potash
need to be purchased. The farmer who uses
these minerals to grow clover may rest
assured that in making his lard more pro-
ductlve, he is also al the same time in
creasing Its fertility in every direction. In
Z fact, where clover is grown on land that
was originally fertile, with a good supply
I OF phosphate and potash, he will find the
{ clover roots striking down into the sub
soil, not only making the soil deeper, but
( bringing from below stores OF mineral fer
tilily that until reached by the clover were
/ wholly untouched. Undertaking OF all
soil that requires Il. and all heavy soils
do, IS a great help to this development
[ and use Of mineral fertility in the subsoil.
A great deal Of fertility comes on all
/ land through rains in summer and melt
[ ing SHOWS in winter. Both gather with
Z some carbonic acid gas a slight amount Of
/ ammonia IN their passage through the air.
/ Dec3ying manure is always giving off
Z some ammonia, sometimes In such amounts
/ that its distinct smell is very perceptible.
All Of this ammonia is caught by rain
drops as they pass through the air. It is
I the ammonia that rain water contains that
/ makes il SO good for washing, and in win
I ter melted STOW makes a better water 10
I cleanse clothes with than does the rain wa
/ ter in cisterns. where it has usually been
| made hard by contact with lime in the
I cement which enciOses II. Under-drained
soil is all the time absorbing either from
/ rains or SHOWS the fertilizing elements I'm
/ monia and carbonic acid gas, which both
I have taken from the air Though carbon IS
not itself a fertilizer. carbonic acid gas IS
I one Of the very best solvents to keep phos-
I phate and potash in the right condition to
! be used by plant roots. A well-drained soil
\ is always filed with carbon!c acid gas. On
/ such soil, therefore, all the mineral ma
/ nures are most effective especially Il il
abounds in vegetable matter whose decay
/ viii keep the supply good. i Is the abb
/ sence Of vegetable matter In sandy soil
/ which makes it deficient in carbonic acid
/ gas. Such soils are very hard to reclaim.
/ as 1t is impossible to use mineral manures
/ on them with advantage, because they SO
/ quickly become insoIuble. If farm is to
/ be reclaimed and improved, always choose
one that has some clay in its soil. Such
/ land viii never become so destitute Of min
cral fertility as most sandy soils are, and
on a heavy soil there is seldom any diff
iculty In seeding with clover, which, al
ter all, must always be considered as the
/ best restorer of fertility.