The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-12-29

fifty per cent surplus air that the
pillow has put in the soil. Once over
with the sub-packer will expe this
surplus air, Fervent any pudding
put the soil in condition for plant
growth just as 1t existed before we
plowed the stubble.snd this gain of
twenty-eight days comes at the begin
ming of the season when 1t is of the
most value.
The soil sis full OF bacteria called
soil ferments and it is the work OF
these ferments that prepare the plant
food for the plant. These ferments
cannot work where surplus of fifty
per cent of air exists In the soil and
all fermentation must cease until the
surplus air lie worked out. This 10
illustrated by stable manure. Throw
some stable manure out over the yard
and 1t will not ferment, but pile it up
and tramp out tho surplus air and 1t
will ferment or heat at once as all the
ferments are active. So much ma
terial exists and they multiply and
work so rapidly that pile of manure
will soon burn up aud destroy itself.
Water will not quench it, but lots of
air Incorporated into it will.
Natures great law is: "In fertile
soil there must be proper amount of
air, heat and moisture; any excess or
deficiency of these will control the
crop" Now the heat of the soil is
caused by the sunshine, and the
moisture by the rainfall, so that the
fertility and the air is all that the
farmer can control. If the soil is
fertile there is only the problem OF
the proper amount of air in the coil to
confront the farmer. The frosts of
winter put just the proper amount of
air in the soil in the stubble field be-
fore 1t is plowed for plant life to
thrive, as is evident by the growth of
weeds, and as blowing this adds fifty
percent of surplus air, then this eur
plus air will control the crop and will
check 1t for twenty eight days or I'M
till 1t is gotten out. This Ia why
early blowing for wheat always gives
the best results. The sub. packer will
give this same result on any late
blowing if 1t follows the pillow at
once. l have stated that o trans
planted tree is harder than the new
plant just from the seed, then why
not give the seeds we plant as good a
chance for life as we give trans.
planted stree Do we do 80? No
We give the planted seeds the same
chance the man did who put the clods
carefully down on the tree roots first
then the fine soil on top, being care
full not to tramp 1t, simply smoothing
1t with a rake.
The finest OF soil should be put on
the roots and firmed down, then the
coarser cal be put on and ther
thoroughly pulverized and all sur
plus air is forced out by trampinp
around the tree. We all know tina
this is the way to set out tree anC
even with ..this careful work some o
them will die. Now why do we no
prepare the soil as :well for the mor'
tender seeds ? Why do we not pillow
under some fine soil just as we pu
on the tree roots first.
Does the average farmer ever max,
any effort to create fine soil on tn,
. surface before blowing it under No
On the contrary he allows all kinds o
, stock in the field, wet or dry, whei
every hoof print :leaves clod to b
turned over into the bottom Of tn
fu.rrOw where the roots grow. H
uses keen cutters on his pillow to slic
off the soil and he tries in every wa,
, to avoid breaking up the hard SUI
face, as the mould board of ploy
turns the hard soil over into tn