The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-08
Importance of Maintaining an EqUi-
| Iibrfum of EertiIity in Soil.

| variously known as kainit, muriate and
sulphates of potash, etc. is as indisoensi-
bic to the growth OF all cultivated plants
as are either nitrogen or phosphoric acid,
having the specific office in the nutrition
of plants of toughening fibers of plants,
thereby giving strength and stability to
| the stalks, as in the case of fax, hemp,
! jute etc, both increasing the quantity,
| as well as improving the quality of the
fiber of cotton: ii also aids in the forms-
| ton of carbohydrates l. e., celiulose,
starch as in the potato, sugar etc, and in
creases the size. h,ghtens the color and
aroma, and improves the flavor of fruits
of most all kinds Like nitrogen, it in
creases the vegetatlye activity in plants,
making them more robust and healthy;
| as evidenced by Increased Iuxuriance and
| dense, deep dark green color of the foil
! age, following Its use.
| All sandy soils peatty soils, and worn
| out, rundown and semi-exhausted soils of
any description, are invariably deficient in
| potash. And especially is this the case
| with the rundown cotton fields of the
! South. Cotton fiber is nearly pure cellu-
lose, and cellulose is The immediate result
of transmutation of starch. No plant can
make starch unless il is supplied with suf-
| ticient potash in an available shape. and If
| no starch is formed no celluiose is made
| no growth of cotton fiber and a weakened
| condition of the whole plant" This weak
| ened condition. and reduced vitality of The
| cotton plant leaves it without stamina suf-
| ficient to successfully resist the attacks
| of fungous diseases, as blight rust, etc.
| as well as its many insect enemies; while
| II hae m hA
not only the most effective insecticide and
| fungicide that has ever been used against
| the above named mysterious and destruc-
tive diseases as wen as wire worms cut
worms, grubs, cabbage maggots, etc, 1t
| also gives tone and stamina to the plants,
rendering them TO a considerable extent
I disease proof AS illustrating the main
objective point we have in view IN
the writing of these letters, viz.
the profit resulting from OBJ aiming ana
then maintaining an equilibrium of fer
tility in soils :; we would call attention to an
experiment carried on by Prof H. A. Hus-
tin. chemist of the Indiana Experimental
Station. AS previously stated, peat or
muck land l. much richer in nitrogen and
phosphoric acid than it is in potash, hence
needs the addition OF potash al a correc-
tive for the purpose of restoring the
equilibrium or lost balance. The land
| experimental on was unproductive muck
or black soil 1t was laid off in plots, to
one, straw was applied as layer three
inches deep over the entire plot; to an
other lime, al the rate of five tons per
acre; to another kainit was applied
broad cast at the rate of one ton per acre;
and to still another kainit and lime to-
gether, in the same quantity as when these
substances We're applied singly. The aver
age production of the untreated black soil
would not exceed four bushels of mar
ketable corn per acre, while the yield re-
sulting from the use of kainit was at the
rate of 55.8 bushels per acre. We come
now to the consideration of phosphorc
acid Phosphates, although aiding the
nutrition of plants TO the extent of as
sisting la bring them to maturity so that
they can produce seed, seem to exert
their almost entire influence in the way
of seed production. In the absence of
phosphorlc acid plants die before they
reach maturity; hence falls to produce seed
and, more than this, if it were possible
for the plant TO arrive al maturity in the
absence of phosphoric acid, it would still
be impossible for those seed to form,
much less be perfected in its absence.
The tendency of nitrogen, and to a linn
tied extent of potash is to increase the
growth of any and all plants, while at
the same time they retard their maturity
actually making them "live longer" while
the tendency of phosphoric acid, on the
other hand is to restrict the growth, even
to the extent in many instances of
dwarfing the plant by forcing an early
maturity, and by bringing about what
might be termed a "precoc.ous" condi-
ton, actually making the plants die fas-
ter"
Now, we wish it distinctly understood
that we have not the slightest desire to
magnify the Importance of one and under
rate or detract from the Importance of
the other: each and all are alike mpor-
tant, each and all are alike essential; in
fact indispensable; no two of them can
possibly give good results without the
other. and best results with a union of
the three can never be obtained except
they be rightly proportoned, and a Just
and proper equilibrium between them be
obtained and then maintained. The first
most important, as well as most con-
slant object with the really progressive
soil tiller is: First, the production of
profitable crops, to be either consumed on
or sold off the farm; and, second, that
each succeeding crop shall be better than
the one that proceeded it, and yet that
the fertility of the soil and its consequent
productive capacity shall be constantly in
creasing, instead of decreasing. To do this
II VIII be found necessary to introduce
systematic rotation; one in which the
legumes shall freely enter as restorative
crop. For the maintenance of the needed
supply of humus, and TO attract nitrogen
from its most abundant and cheapest
source, the atmosphere it viii also be
found advisable to fertilize each end every
crop planted until the entire farm has
been brought to the desired degree Of pro-
ductiveness, some literally others light
ly, according TO their special needs in this
direction, each with a properly balanced
fertilizer suited to the particular needs
of the particular crop In hand, and the
special needs Of the particular soil in which
the crop is planted This Is what 1t takes
for the production of large and profitable
crops, and nothing less than this will
prlhg thenl G. II. Turner