The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-11-11
THE FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO AGRI-
CULTURIsT AND HOUSEWIFE.

Until the farmer realizes the value
of humus how indispensable it is for
making soil really rich is not likely to
make the best of farming however
stirring and practical he may be.
There is little or nothing to be made
out of the use of commercial ferti-
lizers on land that is much lacking
in that desirable element of fertility
humus or vegetable matter. This has
been firmly established by intelligent
practical and scientific experimentors.
both here and in Europe. There are
some crops that do fairly well on soil
containing very little humus. wheat for
instance, but by far the larger number
of valuable crops require soil album
dainty supplied with it. that is TO make
really profitable crops.
Now the trouble with our lands in
the South is they have been under
clean culture so long 80 per cent. OF
the arabic soil is almost entirely des-
titute of humus. Comparatively little
new land has been brought into cult
walton in the past twenty-five years
and little attention has been given to
rational rotation whereby vegetable
matter is restored to the soil at proper
intervals. Cotton and corn. corn and
cotton. little grain being the ex-
tent of the average rotation. Instead
of turning under any vegetable matter
that happened to occupy the land in
the early part of the year it was, for
convenience. burnt off, another humus
destroying crop went in. This system
has left the land in a very famished
condition.
AS is well known. humus we'll dis
tributed in the SOIL enables ii to with
stand drought much better; il attracts
carbonic acid, and the humc acid rem
ders potash and phosphoric acid solu-
BILE. Thus the humus has a varied or
compound action. 1t is absolutely es-
sential to fertile soil.
Prof. Ladd of the North Dakota sta
tion observed that a pile of compost
exposed to a long drouth lost but a
little of its moisture showing the te-
nacity with which the organic matter
held to moisture. 1t so acts in the
soil How can we supply this hui
mus?
We have so many plants with which
to provide humus or vegetable matter
for our worn soils we need never be at
a loss for one to suit our purpose There
are occasions when the Spontaneous
weed growth comes very handy as
humuS crop. weed for instance
after grain where this weed occupies
the soil and springs up after the har-
vest of wheat or oats. We have seen
soil greatly improved in this way.
Where the growth is rank it is a. good
plan to NOV the weeds Just before the
seeds ripen and later turn them under
for grain or clover in early November.
f)ur list of ''Hafrot1c ig
one Let us enumerate the principal
ones"
Peas, many varieties.
Velvet bean.
Giant rag weed.
Bur clover
Crimson clover.
Sapling clover.
Winter vetch.
Soy bean
Canada pea
Rape.
Cotton.
"A few others might be added to the
list but these Will suffice for the pres
ent, The cotton plant is an unsur-
passed hunlus crop when used special
ly as such. Few appreciate it for this
probably. But let the doubter once
SOW broadcast 8 to 10 bushels of cot
ton seed evenly on an acre and three
or -FOUR weeks after the plants are up
run common barrow over ii to kin
the Just-sprouting grass or weeds at
the same time slightly thinning the
cotton. Later pick what cotton opens
and later still turn under the stalks.
II may be necessary to NOW them
down before they can be turned under
satisfactorily.
But try it once You may learn
something. s. A. G