The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-17


an average yield? The answer to this Gu, s.
ton is a comparatively simple one. Tne
soils were formed long ages ago and dur
ing ali of the intervening time The plant
food locked up beneath the surface has
been combining and recombining until II
has come 10 be in an almost insolubie con-
diicn The average plant lacks The power
TO unlock this plant-foOd while in such
state, and is, therefore, in much the same
position as man in the middle of the
ocean without any suitable drinking water.
He dies of thirst while surrounded by the
very subs tance ne is seeking, because of
his inability 10 convert ii to his own use.
The agencies which assist in making
plant-food more available are water sun
light, and thorough cultivation of the soil
Through these a portion at least OF the
plant-food can be made available and the
productive capacity of The land greatly in
creased. Vegetable matter, or humus, as
it is called, is another factor which plays
an important part in making inert plant
food available to growing crops. If a sou
is destitute of humus, it Is muca more
difficult for plants to get their food from
it, On the other hand if a soil contains
plenty of humus, the decomposition OF tins
vegetable matter helps to dissolve the
more insoluble substances, thus converting
them into available plant-food.
This question of utilizing latent fertility
often leads farmers TO consider whether IL
is wisdom to use artificial fertilizers in
addition. The writer is a great believer
in getting all from nature that is possible,
and If by artificial means a larger harvest
can be gathered from Mother Earth, there
is no reason why il should not be done.
The question is simply this If by the use,
for example, of so worth of fertilizers
per acre the value of a crop can be m
creased S15, is il not common sense 10
use fertilizers? 1t is well-known fact
that soil in frst-class physical condition
and well stored with plant food will re-
spond more literally to a heavy dose OF
fertilizers than one which is run down
or worn out. Fertilizers in themselves
cannot make a good crop when surround
| ing conditions are upfavora Die. II the
| season is too wet or too dry too cold
or too hot, there win be q partial or com
| plete failure. If the land is not well
worked the plant roots are retarded in
! their action, and being confined to mar
| row space in their search for food, growth
! becomes stunted and a perfect yield i'm
! possible.
| Every farmer should see that his land is
| well supplied with humus or vegetable
matter, which can be done most cheaply
! by growing COW peas or clover and turn
| ing them under. Too much of this, now
| ever, would sour the land. Therefore, as
an offset a dose of slaked lime, say about
| forty bushels per acre, should be applied
| once in about every five years. The lime
| will not only hasten the decomposition of
the organic matter, but will also unlock
some of the latent plant food in the soil,
| notably potash. By a thorough system of
| cultivation the physical condition of the
soil can be greatly improved, enabling the
| air to have freer access, thus facilitating
| oxidation, and causing the saltwater to
| percolate more freely. This will dissolve
the plant food and move it about in the
soil so as to be readily available to the
roots
It must be remembered, however, that
the soil is like a bank. If continually
drawn upon without repenishing, it Will
soon become bankrupt; hence the wise
farmer will see that he at least maintains
on equilibrium by depOsiring annually
what is drawn out. This guards against
the gradual removal of plant food, and
it is well to remark here that after a soil
has once become run down, ii is very
difficult matter to build it up again. A
far more economical plan, therefore
would be to gradually increase the produc-
! tive capacity of the land.
| There are only three ingredients OF
plant food which have to be considered
in feeding the soil. These are phosphoric
acid, potash and nitrogen. The last-nam-
ed can be furnished by clover or peas
| while the other two can be purchased
| Cheaply on the market in the form of acid
phosphate or bone for phosporc acid, and
muriate of potash or sulphate of potash
for potash. These materials should be
applied directly to the land to be sowr
to clover or peas, 50 al TO insure a heav-
Ter growth and thereby a larger absOrp-
| ton of nitrogen.
There is nothing complicated in the mat
ter of fertilizing land. All that is needed
is careful observation and some little study
of the principles involved