The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-30
Soil and Soil Treatment.


The earth was made for the purpose
of growing plants, and it is well and
wisely made, says the Farm and
Ranch, The soil is perfectly adapted
10 growing vegetation. 1t neither grows
weary nor wornout in the work. Plants
We're created to grow in the soil. So
perfect Is their adaptation to this bus
mess, that instead of exhausting the
soil, they leave it better by growing
IN 1t. The larger the growth upon any
given area this year, the larger still
is the possible growth next year upon
tne same soil. Such is the mutual re-
latlonship between the powers of the
SOIL and the work of the plants in
growing, dying and decaying that 1t
Is possible to grow crops continuously
upon the same soil, with ever-increas-
ing capacity for growing more and
more more ana larger crops on the part of
the soil. How, then, do farms get
poor? 1t is the result of bad manage
ment, and not or the demands made
upon the soil by the growing crops
vegetation upon an average is rs per
cent water, p per cent air and only 3
per cent. soil. Good farming returns
TO the soil so much of this organized
water and air, that it more than COM
pensates for the per cent taken from
the soil. Hence, it is a mistake to say
that the soil is exhausted or made
poorer by the small part it furnishes
the crop. Then you ask why do we
f1nd fields and farms, after years of
cultlvationl become poor and non-pro-
ductive? The causes are many. Mainly
bad management in plowing when the
soil is wet. and in plowing so shallow
that the soluble plant food is washed
away or leached out by the rainwater.
Continuous clean culture and burning
the waste vegetable matter helps to
hasten this condition.
Mechanical condition of the soil: The
power of any soil to produce depends
largely upon the mechanical condi-
tion of the soil. Hard, compact soils
Will not turn loose their elements of
plant food in sufficient quantities to
make large crops. A good soil must
be finely pulverized soil. Shallow
soils with hardpan under them will not
yield large crops. They do not per-
nit sufficient root growth. The ten
der rootlets cannot pierce this hard
pan in search for food. Again, they
do not furnish sufficient water for
rapid and full growth. Plants require
very large supplies of water to furnish
their food in solution and keep up
healthy circulation. About three hun
dred pounds of water must pass
through most plants 20 leave one pound
of dry matter. This would require
. about two thousand pounds to pass
through cornstalk to make one
pound of corn, and the same to pass
through cotton stalk to leave one
pound of lint. The soil must be fine
and deep. and pulverized. not made
into mud or mortar. 1t must also
contain rotting vegetable matter to
furnish the humus, without which
plants cannot grow.
Rich soil: Soil in this condition will
be rich. 1t will produce large crops.
1t matters not if It be red or gray,
sandy or clay. So much of our land
has been put in bad mechanical con-
.dition that but few farms. will pro-
duce large crops. Hence the necessity
of using commercial fertilizers. These
contain phosphoric acid and potash
readily soluble and available They
greatly increase the yields because Of
this fact. They feed the growing
plant. The more vigorous the plant.
the more they help-just as it pays to
give extra food to a thriving pig or
beef. So we see that even the help
fulness of fertilizers is dependent upon
the mechanical texture of the soil. The
farmers constant study should be
How can 1 improve the mechanical
condition of my soil?" Upon his intel
lgence in answering this question will
depend largely his success as a far
mer. Your bottom land is richer than
your upland because it's mechanical
condition is better. Your garden is
richer than your farm, because its
mechanical condition is better. These
are not new discoveries, but so few
farmers are acting upon them that they
need to be restated
Where the farmers Use two four q nj
siX-horse plows, their soil is deep and
fine and productive. Any soil may be
made so by proper treatment. Your
soil is largely a thing of your own
making. The success or failure of
your crops for the next year will de-
pend very largely upon the condition
of your soil when you begin to plant