The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-10

Humus As a FACTOR In Soil Fertility.
In an article in our last issue. we en-
deavored to show the Importance of hui
mus (decayed vegetable natter in the soil
as factor in securing its fertility. We
showed that as this humus decreased so
did the crop producing power of the land
decrease, and that this was caused by the
decrease in the nitrogen in the soil, says
the Southern Planter. Plants utilize nj
trogen in their development and growth in
the form mainly of nitrates. In the alb
sence of these nltrates, the plant cannot
grow or make a crop. They are one es-
sential factor in crop production, and are
best supplied from the humus of the soil
through the agency of heterogeneous
or bacteria. The greater the amount of or
ganic matter or humus In the SOIL the
greater the number of bacterial; and the
greater the number of bacteria the great
er the available supply of plant food. These
bacteria, however, cannot Increase and full
I'LL their office of supplying nitrates to the
crop unless the humus is alkaline in its
character. Wherever and whenever soil
becomes acid or sour, then the bacteria
cease 10 multiply, and perform their func-
ton of nitrate producers. They also cease
to work when the soil becomes water-log-
ged and imperviabre to the air These
luAcc NpilhAtAOuSs lINAlf are essential 10 sue
cessftT crop production: An abundance of
humus in the SOIL the soil we'll drained
and sweet, and the land so loosened by cul-
tivation as to be freely permeable by the
air. To secure these conditions there must
be added to the soil, first matter out of
which humus can be created. This may be
either farm-yard manure, straw, or Vegeta-
BILE matter produced from growing crops
turned into the soil; second, such a sys-
tenn OF drainage, either natural or artificial
as win prevent stagnant water saturating
the land
Moisture is necessary for the growth of
the bacteria, but not such a degree of
moisture as will make the land water sod
den; 50, a correction of any acidity in
the soil by the additionaof lime to make
II sweet; and, 4th, such constant cultiva-
ton as will permit of the air freely cir
Culating in ii. 1t has been said that
every cultivation of a corn or potato crop
is equivalent to a dressing of nitrate OF
soda in its cheapest form. As a means
for the production of humus it IS well to
use largely the leguminous crops such as
oowpeas, clover, and Sofa beans, because
these crops have the power, in addition
to forming humus of taking from the at
mosphere the nitrogen there freely pres
ent, which becomes fixed on their roots
In nodules through the action of bac-
terra. 1t may be taken as a clearly ascer-
ficienty rich in available nitrogen by the
judicious use of legumnous crops in a
proper system of rotation, or by the use
of grass and clover as part
OF the rotation, for the success
full production of all crops. They may
need the application of phosphoric acid
and potash to provide the ash elements OF
the crop, but even the need of these, sup
piled in the form of purchased fertilizers,
may be largely reduced by the abund-
ance of humus in the soil. as the acid Gre
ated by the action of the bacteria In con-.
verting the nitrogen into nitrates is power
fully solvent on the phosphoric acid and
potash naturally stored in all lands, and
thus renders available that which nature
has provided for the continued fertility e
the land. The use of lime also is condu-
Give to the same end as well as bene-
fetal in rendering possible the work of
the bacteria i'm nitrate production. Humus
is the sheet anchor Of successful agricul-
ture; without it, commercial fertilizers ap-
piled are simply wasted.