The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1899-10-12
"Exhau sted" Soils.

According to the modern idea, an
exhausted soil is one which will not
produce paying crop. The term
exhausted" is in reality only rela-
tive one, because any soil which can
be at all utilized for farming purposes
must evidently possess some of the
elements which so to make up plant
growth. An analysis made of many
lands now producing only scrubby
growth would reveal the presence of
sufficient plant nourishment to grow
bountiful crops for hundreds of years
to come.
The question then naturally sug-
gests itself: Why is it that soil con-
tanning plenty of plant food may yet
fail to produce an average yield? The
answer to this question is compare
lively simple one. The soils were
formed long ages ago, and during all
OF the intervening time the plant-food
locked up beneath the surface has
been combining and recombining un-
til it has come to be an almost insolu-
BILE condition. The average plant lacks
the power to unlock this plant food
while in such a state, and is, there
fore, in much the same position as q
man in the middle of the ocean with
out any suitable drinking water. He
dies of thirst while surrounded by the
very substance he is seeking, because
OF his inability to convert it to his own
use.
The agencies which assist in making
plant-food more available are water.
sunlight, and thorough cultivation of
the soil. Through these portion at
least of the plant-food can be made
available and the productive capacity
of the land greatly increased. Vege-
table matter, or humus, as it is called,
is another factor which plays an i'm
portant part in making inert plant
food available to growing crops. If a
soil is destitute of humus, it is much
more difficult for plants to get their
food from it, On the other hand, if
n soil contains plenty of humus, the
decomposition of this vegetable mat
ter helps to dissolve the more insou-
BILE substances, thus converting them
INV ofhiHDlO Piahb-iOOhs
Every farmer should see that his
land is we'll supplied with humus or
vegetable matter, which can be done
most cheaply by growing cow-peas or
clover and turning them under. Too
much of this, however, would sour the
land. Therefore, rs an offset, 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 un-
lock some of the latent plant food in
the soil, notably potash. By thorough
system of cultivation the physical con-
dition of the soil can be greatly i'm
proved, 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.
1t must be remembered, however,
that the soil is like bank. If con-
tinually drawn upon without replen.
ishing, it will soon become bankrupt;
hence the wise farmer will see that he
at least maintains an equilibrium by
depositing annually what is drawn
out. This guards against the gradual
removal OF plant-food, and it is well
to remark here, that after q soil has
once become run down, it is very
difficult matter to build it up again.
A far more economical plan, therefore,
would be to gradually increase the
productive capacity of the land
Farm, Field and Fireside.