The Savannah morning news., 1900-10-29

Tllers OF the soil must always keep IN
mind the necessity OF keeping the soil
from baking. This can be done only IN
one way. says writer IA New York
Farmer This way is 90 open or loosen
The soil 20 separate the particles. ana
20 stir them frequently whenever any ten
dencv 10 bake becomes visible.
Sandy soils do not bake. or. no least. not
enough 70 do much damage 70 vegetables.
Loose soils ~ general are free from the
evils of baking Where clay forms a con-
siderable part Of the soil there Will he
baking whenever the weather becomes dry
and stays dry for a considerable time.
Who're rain D. followed by a sudden hot
spell. the baking viii be very mpid and
will DO much damage 70 the crops.
To assist Ia keeping clayey soil open u
may be well 10 use some sand upon u.
Manuring or blowing under green crops
Will make even clayey soil less liable 20
bake. The green crops give fiber 70 the
soil. and the fiber decays the resultant
humus viii soften the clayey soil
Soil that Is too open. too loose and too
ieachy or too prone 20 lose tts FINER par
tic.es when strong gales blow In the spring
or fall. win be benefited by using lime 10
compact the coil II Is "a fact not general
ly known. that lime. AZ the rate Of twenty
20 twenty bushels 90 the acre will
bind sandy and other loose soils and make
them coarser.
OF course. the use = lime always brings
in the question OF acidity iu The soil. II
| tho soil Dee somewhat acid. the lime may
be- beneficial h. sweeteuing 81 somewhat.
in addition 10 binding ia particles to-
sether. II the soil be nou-acii. there will
be no benefit from the lime and there
may be some damage done by Sc In de-
s'royiuE the humus.
II should be kept IN mind that Fol al
| lowed to bake into a solid mass viii
evaporate ifs moisture very RAPIDLY The
| baked particles are tn close contact AMI
| FOR thnt reason they form . sold conduct
| Ink medium Tor the moisture below the
surface. As the surface dries out. tne
moisture In the son viii pass upward Into
the dried part. This passage IS greatly
| facilitated by the baked crust
| PulvcriZinE the crust will destroy the
| capillary attraction. enlarge tie spaces.
change the mechanical conditions %
among the particles OF soil AMI thus
change tho mechanical conditions 50 a.
the upward passage OF moisture and rs
vaporation will he retarded This is ha
science Of the dust mulch. The rcp. atci
stirring OF the surface soil looscns fines
and aerates f. leaving IL tn such shape
that 90 offers the greatest resistance 10
the upward passage OF tho moisture in the
soil and the suhsou.
This season OF drcuth has dem 1retrsted
the very great value OF the dust mu.ca.
Land OF not very marked ferti iiy. n
which but three or four showers have been
IN four mon hs has been handled and DUST
mulched SO that 90 has product fairly
good crops 90 vegetables on exactly rimi-
| lar land right alongside whore all the
soil was permitted 20 bake ana cake, no
crops az an were grown.
During the season have made study
! Of hard and OF soft soil in the matter OF
| holding or losing moisture. Last spring
| / selected two pats. each ten fest square.
one I rolled down ae hard rs t could be-
| made with an ordinary roller The ether
| I left loose and kept loose Nothing was
| planted in the plats. All tha' was done
was 20 cut down what weeds grew OF
them. Tho looseniug Of the one plat. e
course killed the weeds ln b.
found that in The hord-rolcd and SUB
sequeuty baked soil the water sank fas r
aud evap0rated faster than iu the loose
soil. a nvc-minute rainfall. that wc.ted
the hard ground i've inches deep
penetrated the loose ground bat tor q
inches. on the other hand. the FIVE inches
OF wet hard soil dried our iu two dafs
leaving the caked soil as dry as ashes
while the loose soil etili showed moisture
at che cud OF nfceu days.
Furthermore. in the hard plat the sub
soil was as dry as the hard cras. wnla
In the sort plat there was enough moi =
turo 20 support Vcectation Tire lolse
Mat grew weeds luxurianuy. whenever On
stirrIncs Of the dust blanket walc fAr
enough apart In time 10 give them a
chance 60 form stems and leaves The
hard plat was far less favorable 20 their
I