The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1899-12-14
Agriculture.
slnr4paser e. rru1nur

1 "N1A omha skh f0AbF 1sb WIS
sifcns sgiissltbrsl issti cts He caos'
ssreuiisu became u sppssled to hin ~
ihe soesi,an ea rias The beet orptftaol
ties Ter tie conaiiiop Of Tie BE inhtriled
the old homestead, shish wss badly ret
dosn aud depls.ied TITO soil ss 81
bsasted. II had Loot i's productive rowtr
What vas be 10 DO witt ~ he US 81
earnest yeubs nsn and meant to susoeed.
Tie rcslixsd TOO that be uuii ebsneu The
policy aud The methods Of hsDdliss that
farm, be ,tadie5 bic conditions, be uent
10 The bottom Of the matter HIS helds
had been cropped for decades sud uow a
too OF lees OF timothy bay sss The resell
lU lookirs up The ieedips sslue Of timothy
bay be found, much TO bis sur tise that
i, vas Low. BE locked fer something TO
furnish bay that bad a better feedias vaire
titan timothy Be found u 10 elostr
which hss feeding vslus nesfly three
times that OF timothy
That vas q doe discovery IN iiseli. 1t
Was Just what be war after He could pro
luce more butter and milk than by usirg
timothy. Bot be found the greatest AZ
vantage from clover 10 the fact that il i'm
Iroved the soil. Teis VS. Whist be wss
after. 1t isI't often you 6ud farm crop
that 10 . good coil renovstor aud at the
sane time superior feeding stuff. he
found clover . bslsnced ration" 10 itself
Then he studied It's vslde - u soil renovs
tor.
His stit was like most New Epglsad
soils bard, dead, lileiess. II wanted s,ir
ring up. Now Smith found these clover
roots extending deep into the soil, TheY
bought svsilsbla plant food from tue sub
soil. and when the roots died they left the
soil open so the sir could get into j, md
work on the unavailable plant food, max
log it available.
He knew he soil was de6cier 10 nitro
gen. he studied the subject and found
that the clover plstt had power TO add
nitrogen to the soil This principle is in
this wise: = On plants belonging to the lie
gume family, such as clover, peas and
besns, q species OF bscteri., or plant N i
crobes, grows. You find them in the
roots - like modules and these lite mod |
ules or bacteria in growing utiliz, for
their growth the nitrogen OF the air. Now
40 other plants can feed of the nitro
gen Of the air, and IS these tubercle bscilli
grow only with the clover, it lie the only
plant that furnishes nitrogen to the soil
This wfs just what John Smith and 40
Bvery other faro er wapts-s plant that 10
It's growth is medium for building up in
The soil soil nitrogen. SO be grew clover.
He soon put clover in every field and 10
lew years be saw q great difference 10 bis
,oi'
This made blowing a necessity. As soon
Is be could get 10 it he plou ghed up every
ied and gave TO each 3 thorough string
10 that the cir freely circulated. giving
his powerful sgent an sctive cause 10
changing plant food from it's locked up
" unsssimilsble condition to su available
orm.
He adopted Q rotation course OF crops
like his;-Ths first year corn,
which was put in the clio. TIE land was
hen fall plowed and 10 the spring put 10
borough tilsge and seeded to oats or
farley and clover aud timothy. The third
ear be got q good crop OF clover: the
ourth year good crop OF mixed bay, and
be fifth year . good crop OF timothy
This was sold ss . cash crop and the Glove
nd mixed hay was ept for home use.
'he Timothy bad God ale tecauselit
ras OF the best quslit' ~ he was willing
o sell it because I Q clover had three
lmss the feeding Va ue and this last Q /
7anted for himself
Now he was getting on good basis Tor
his land and maintaining its
,rtility. The clover each year added or
snic matter to the soil. This orRsnic
,stier put new life 10 the soil. Then all {
be time the clover was growing 1t was
dding nitrogen to the soil. So Smith I
BON found that he did not need to buy
nitrogen. He was producing
Il be needed and at no expense. He slso
srefully saved oil bis manure and found
lst 10 q short time be was able to get
ong without phosphoric acid and potash,
nd 90 be went on, yearly improving bis
,il by means Of home conditions and re-
,urces without trouble or expeose.
He had discovered the true secret OF the
sintensnce OF fertility. He who wishes L
i Q complete restoration OF soil fertility
ust follow the philosophy OF John Smith
I'd rsi look to the improvement OF the :
,ysicsl conditions and productive power
III upquestionsbly result
CHARLES VM BURKErT ,
New H,mpsblrs Agricultural College.
4 A.. l. |