Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-11-19
DIRECT VS.. INDIRECT SOIL
ENRICHMENT.

the produce of the farm. The present
season is the most prosperous one for
farmers that has occurred for nearly a
generation, and the feeling is present
that the decreased supply of gold, and
the increasing area of new lands annual
ly settled, coupled with a rapid increase
of the worlds population, will hold the
prices of farm crops above those pre-
vailing for the past decade, and that this
is especially true of live stock. have
some fellowship with these views and
agree that the time is ripe for forward
movement.
At farmers institute meetings, espe-
cially in Massachusetts,, and by visitors at
my farm, | have had often to discuss the
lines of soil improvement and to dis
courage make-shift methods. During
the present year, the closing one of my
eight years rotation, | have become
more strongly confirmed in the view
that all our operations shonld be based
on a long view of their relations to the
farm fertility. Indirect fertilizers should
be used with caution. Lime, plaster, salt
and even ashes can be abused. Fallows
are not To be considered except to de-
stroy weeds, witch grass or some noxious
plant. But fallows are not required,
even for this purpose, as in modified
form we can accomplish the same end.
Hungarian grass, late sown, offers
chance for smothering noxious crops,
until so weakened by spring civilizations
and early summer harrowings that this
rapid growing annual goes far if not
finally towards destruction of these
plants.
Early and persistent tillage-tillage
that actually keeps the leaves from
showing-is fatal if we'll followed up.
Fallows should have their quietus, now
that for untold times they are again
shown by tests at the Minnesota expert
ment station to be terrible soil robbers.
The rapid formation of soluble plant
food by the action of atmospheric agents
IN the constantly titled soil in the alb
sence of plants TO absorb it, is followed
by rapid teaching and a consequent loss,
not only of humus but of minerals.
Good crops may and do follow fallow,
but at disastrous loss to the soil. 1t
mortgages the future.
Now that the humus idea is in the air
green manuring is pressed upon me fire.
quently at institutes and elsewhere. II
adds, we are told, humus to the soil and
this material holds water strongly, is
the centre of bacterial action and of
chemical changes that react on soils. A
well fertilized soil will increase in soil
humus provided good rotation is
adopted. The roots and stubble OF
clover, as shown by many experiments,
including those of the writer, leave
nearly as much organic matter in the
soil as the tops remove. This being the
case a crop of clover of 2 1-2 tons at SIP
per ton, makes an expensive addition
to roots and stubble for green manuring
that are had for nothing. As some 95
per cent, always over nine-tenths, OF the
weight of the roots and stIbble are de-
rived from the air, humus may actually
increase in the soil as direct result OF
good farming, always on condition that
a rotation is adopted favoring it. The
organic matter always in good soils will
vary from about 100000 to 10000 lbs,
and the addition of 1000 lbs. in crop OF
clover is not a great ratio of increase.
| am aware that this is not a pres
entation of the whole subject, but in the
light of the absence of trial tests that
have shown even for one year or for
series of years compensation for a crop
to grow succeeding crops, it must be
held as adequate until the accurate tests
demonstrate the contention of those
who advise us to use one crop to feed
another. Green mannring is a good
plaything for the rich.
During the seasons work on Wilson
farm nearly fifty acres of old pasture
have been broken. Some of it at least
seventy-five years ago was in potatoes,
whose hills were visible at time OF plow-
ing this season, and upon whose surface
no sod had developed, weeds, bushes
and some grazing vegetation existing. 1t
was not rich like some good, well-sodded
old pastures, but very poor. On this
ground fair crop of corn has been
grown, and on parts good crop without
the use of any vegetable matter, chem
icals doing the work satisfactorily.
One piece of ground that eight years
ago was in long-mowed field gave this
year two or more tons of hay per acre,
where the whole eight acres would not at
the beginning have produced over one
ton. 1t has had one coating of six loads
of manure, a part of it second dressing
of manure, and all of It 10 tons of muck
to the acre, and approximated 500 lbs.
chemicals annually, save the year In
clover. The field has paid its way and
owes me nothing. 1t is on the upgrade
at good speed. Now feel more secure
with that field for the future than l
should with two tons of hay secured by
any of the systems of management that
instead of feeding the soil used some
agent to draw upon its organic matter
like fallows, lime, salt and ashes, or that
came by growing one good crop upon
the bier of another. While humus is
desirable iu good quantity, it appears
that rapid gain can occur without re-
sorting to 1t.
l desire to make it clear that the
method meets the idea of expansion of
farming, for the yard has not been
drawn upon to accomplish the end in but
a small ratio to those who practice the
old system of thirty loads of manure the
first year and few good crops and
nothing the eighth year. / have not
used over nine loads per acre on an
average for eight years, and end with IL
to 16 fold the grass that was started
with.
Tillage has done something, muck a
little and other factors have aided, but
the system of moderate annual manuring
with something, coupled with tillage,
forms the basis of the gain. 1t is under
stood, of course, that true chemical
farming seeks to add direct plant
food to the soil, and on this basis the
farm has been operated. While it is not
denied that the soil may be looked upon
| in a limited sense as mine to be ex-
plotted, and that lime, salt and ashes
and tillage while cropping, as substi-
tute for following, may be useful aids
under wise and limited conditions, the
royal road to npbuilding poor lands and
the advancement of our farming is in
the main through the balanced soil
ration. This way surely pays, and the
other, if it enriches at all, is at the ex-
pense of the future, unless very judici-
ously indulged in.-New England Home
stead.
Secretary Wilson of the Department
of Agriculture in speaking of corn for
fodder said: Corn intended for silage or