The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-22
THE MANAGEMENT OF SOILS.
1 Bulletin Issued by the Rhode Isl
and Agricultural station

anu AGRICULTURAL station.
y bulletin just issued by the Rhode Isl
and station. and To which special atter-
ton is being paid by the United States
Department Of Agriculture. makes practi-
cal suggestions regarding the manage
ment of sandy soils. especially as applied
to what is known as the Warwick plain
in the vicinity of Providence. The soil of
this plain is described as a light sandy
Ioam in great need of mosts if not all. of
the kinds of plant food which are liable
to be lacking in soils Like many other
soils of this character. however. when
properly managed. 1t is especially suiteie
to market gardening, and produces early
vegetables OF fine quality. One of the first
requirements of such soils is an increase
Of humus to improve the waterhoIding
capacity, and thus 20 mitigate the d;sas-
trOus effects Of drought. This can be very
effectively accomplished by the growth
Of crops to be turned under as green ma
ure- For this purpose the Ieguminous
plants which collect nitrogen. from the air
especially commend themselves. Such
plants especially recommended for the
Rhode Island soils the Iupines of differ
ent kinds, serradeH with spring grafn).
cowpeas, soy beans, crimson clover. Can
ada field peas with oats). and vetch with
oats. This list can doubtless be varied
for other localities with advantage. The
report says:
'Buckwheat and rye, two crops often
used in green manuring, are too familiar
to all to require notice other than to say
that they. unlike the plants that have
been mentioned, are supposed to be I'M
able to make the same use of atmos-
pheric nitrogen.
Though recognizing the general prin-
cIple that if a crop is one that can be fed
toestock it IS usually better economy to
foo pT4Tn 4E,.
Sulting manure to the land than to plOw
the crop under, there are perhaps in
stances, particularly in the case of sandy
soils which are used for truck farming
where the blowing in of green crops may
be practiced with much immediate profit
and with great ultimate benefit TO the
soil.
other things being equal. the thought
FIJI farmer viii grow, for the renovation
nf his soil, crops which can utilize atmos-
Ir:leTlc nitrogen. since what is thus OBJ
t2Ined would cost at present from 49, to
Il cents per pound, If purchased at retail
in the form of common fertilizers
Moderate lining improves both the
physical and the chemical properties OF
sandy soils.
Wood ashes, Ieachcd or unIeached.
may be safely used to furnish lime
Where but little potash is needed. Ieached
ashes would give practically as good re-
suits as unieached ones. Freshly slaked
lime Is not so safe for such soils as that
y hich has been exposed to the air for Il
longer time Large single applications of
/. lime should not be made to sandy soils
One ton per acre may usually be con-
sidered a maximum application Lime
composted with muck or other organic
matter is brought into excellent condition
to apply 10 soils of this character
There Is no form Of nitrogen which
acts 50 quickly as nitrate of soda. Upon
sandy soils il must. however. be used
cautiously. The soil is so open and leach
ing takes places 50 readily that it should
he applied periodically, and only in such
quantities as would seem to be needed in
the near future
'-SuIphate Of ammonia would be less Ii
able to leach than nitrate of soda, though
upon acid sell it has been found TO exert
an injurious action, either Immediately OF
in the course Of = few years. provided the
soil IS not treated with lime. wood ashes,
. OF considerable quantities Of stable man
ure- If sandy soil is heavily lined. there
IS danger that the ammonia In sulphate
Of ammonia may be driven out Of the soil
IN the form of gas and thus wasted
/ Where 1t is not convenient TO make
frequent appncations, and where the
growth of the crop covers a long period
( OF tine. nitrogen in organic matter is
probably the safest to apply upon sandy
soils The best grades Of dried blood. con-
tanning from y 20 12 per cent Of nitrogen.
Z furnish this substance in more effective
I form than fish, tankage, or other ma
teriaiS- II prices are SATISFACTORY fish.
Z tankaSe- and cOttOnseed meal may be
used to good advantage Lower grades
( of blood are liable TO be aduIterated-
/ For sandy soils sulph2te of potash
. might nave an advantage II wei seasons
and muriate IN dry ones ! mixture of
4 the two would. perhaps, generally be the
{ safest Potash in sulphate usually costs
{ from 0ne-fOurth to a half cent per pound
more than immuriate of potash. a factor
! which is not without influence in their Sc
( lection.
In the case of acid. or sour. and Ieachy
( soils basic Stag meal Is probably the near
{ est to an ideal source Of phosphOr5c acid
/ that can ne applied This is nearly as
/ effective as acid phosphate. dissolved
( bOnebiack. dissolved bone. or double sU-
( peTphosphate and is far less liable than
( the latter to loss by teaching. Bone Is
/ far more effective upon sandy than upon
! ciayey soils, while floats finely ground
! 'uudiss0iVed phosphate rockJ might give
{ good results.
{ Where quick action is desired basic
1 Stag meal or superphOsDhate should =
! employed The choice between dissolved
bone, dissolved boneblack. acid phosphate
and double supeTphosphate' VIII be de-
I teTInined largely by the price Of each"
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