The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-01-15
WE MUST HAVE MORE AND BETTER
SOIL.

very practical farming articles
which he has contributed to this
paper, has in the last issue of the
Southern Cultivator a strong article
on "MOre and Better Soil" It is d
good subject for our farmers to think
over these winter nights, and we
publish Mr.. Hunnicutt's letter in
full below:
The foundation of all and lasting
success in farming must be laid in a
better soil. The soil is the farmer s
bank. Into this bank he must make
constant deposits of active working
capital if he expects success. Hence
it is all important that every farmer
should thoroughly understand what
his soil is and how he can improve it.
For the past eighteen months we
have been discussing this question in
a more or less desultory manner and
while this discussion has not been
altogether vain yet we are painfully
aware that great many have not
yet been fully awakened to it's real
meaning. Therefore at the risk of
repeating we will discuss the ques-
tion once more. Cline upon line,
precept upon precept" is still de-
manded. Indeed our very effort to
explain the nature and powers of
soil has taught us much of real value.
ebay unto day uttereth speech,
night unto night showeth knowl-
edge" and each setting sun has left
US wiser than when the day begun
the same is true of each student of
natures wondrOus ways.
WHAT is SOIL.
Without undertaking to give an
exact scientific answer we desire to
say as it relates to farming, it is the
top of the earth and it's plant food
contents. There is no specific line
of demarcatiOn between soil and sub
soil. The depth of the soil at any
particular place is not fixed guam
tity, but may be increased or de-
creased at the will of the fnrmer by
his methods of treatment.
When the top of the earth is
loosened up the air and sunshine and
water circulate through it and make
soluble the mineral elements of plant
life which everywhere abound
While there are fourteen of these
elements found in all plants, there
are only three of them that particu
larly concern the farmer. Nature
will look after the others. The three
are: Potash, phosphoric acid, anC
lime, and these are found in ample
quantities, in all soils; indeed there
is about nine thousand dollars worth
of them in every average acre O.
land taken to the depth of three feet
But in their native condition they
are insoluble, for plants cannot us'
solids, but only liquids, their fooC
must be fed to them in solution il
water.
RICH AND POOR SOIL.
What we call rich soil does not con
tain more of these essential element
of plant food than what we call poo
soil. But they are in soluble cOnd1
tiOn in the poor soil. They are mad
soluble by pulverization if the sol
be made fine it becomes rich. 1t is
question of mechanical condition
and not a question of mineral com
position. The rich lOam of bottom
lands is made up from the fine par
ticles taken from the poor hillside
and carried by the water and de
posted on the bottom land. If w,
can make the hillsides as fine a
these bottom lands the soil will b.
equally as rich. We mean to say
that each farmer can make his sol
deeper and richer simply by pIowine
deeper and pulverizing finer.
THE REAL CONDITION.
The actual present condition ot
the average farm is about as follows
First, three or four inches of more OF
less badly plOwed sO-called soil. The
plowing has been done when the
ground was too wet. The sunshine
and the winds have dried the little
Jumps of earth into millions of what
we may properly call sun dried
brick bats.
The brick bats are utterly incapa
BILE of furnishing any plant food tc
the growing crops. If you wish tc
know what part of your fields are