Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1902-10-30
FARMER AND PLANTER.
THE FARMERS FOUNDATION.
The Conservation OF Moisture one of
the Prime Factors In the Fer
tiIity of the Farm.

Itmay be commonplace 10 call ntten-
ton 90 the most important thing OF
the farm-its fertility but now and
then these homely commonplace are
not out Of place in farm teachings.
We may talk so much about the
conservation OF moisture that we will
forget that IL we make our land rich
enough. and keep IL filed with hui
mus. that il will very largely con
serve It's own moisture. We may talk
go much about the depth OF blowing
and the kind of tillagc We shall give,
the use Of lime and all the stock sub
iccts until We lose sight Of the fact
that the crop comes with any depth
OF blowing and any kind 81 cultiyat-
ing II the land Is fertile enough.
IL Is not that oil these things !
have said we write about are not
very good aud very important, but all
Of them together are not as import
ant as the one first principle -fertil-
ity.
At some ~ our institutes have
heard learned professor" say that
he did not care how poor the land
might bc, hc could raise good crop
n he had all the moisture he desired
lie evidently had never seen moisture
simply cooperating To waste around
the old brick yards, and not even
weeds growing We oil will admit the
Importance. the necessity. 81 mois-
tarc. but without subdrainage and
without active fertility in the shape
Of humus oceans Of moisture and tow
crs 20 theory will not produce
crop.
How shall We get humus l. the
question. II e. true that from far
too many farms the humus has been
the bottom 81 the trouble IL ignorant
and wicked farming. | do not like
60 "cull names" but spade H.
spade. and ignorant farming should
bc called SO, for there is no excuse
FOR Ignorance in this day. when farm
papers are 80 plentiful than one can
not get some ~ them to stop coming
But the humus has gone, and TO
g-t IL back can not be done in day
ar year, for the restoration ~ II II
an operation In some measure com
mcn.uratc with the losing - il. and
r,roiuiug IL Is matter ~ plan or
policy and that plan must en-
brace rational rotation Of crops
and blowing down vegetable matter
The desired end may bc much more
quickly and probably reached by
keeping paying live stock. making
plenty - manure. saving IL properly.
AMI applying IL wisely
II have nothing else - occupy
land and 20 be plowcd down viii
take weeds, and " the lnud IL too poor
o. raise q fair crop - weeds, as |
have had land described 60 me, for
heavens sake move away from it
life &. too short and better land too
abundant 60 fool away time on such
land.
bat there is no necessity for de-
pending on weeds. ~ soon as posi-
hic we want TO get the cloyers work
ing FOR NJ. They are the farmers two
handed friend-ope hand pulls up and
the other down. What the hand pulls
down from the air costs ms absolute
" nothing. and what the other hand
pulls mp b. likewise Inexpensive
To cover the ground IN spring. sum
mcr and fall. IN we can not get clover
60 grow. we have willing friends in
corn. oats, buckwheat. rape. cow
peas and SOY beans 90 be plowed un-
der Then N crimson clover will grow
Il will work for us through the late
IAN and winter. II IL will not grow,
surely rye will
These crops are listed 90 be plowed
under, but I would put them in the
list 90 feed To profitable animals, the
manure saved. some commercial fer
tilI1crs bought. and clover coaNed
along. But many Of these crops |
may make a good growth in n short !
time. and produce an immense lot Of
stuf TO turn under. For instance,
where wheat follows oats Immediate |
~ after the oats ~ harvested, IL the |
ground is plowed and sown with half |
bushcl 81 corn 10 the acre. IT, will |
grow two. three, four or more feet |
high before the wheat need be sown. |
Plow II under green, and work the |
ground down compactly. The second
blowing will give you more fertility |
than thirty bushels OF lime 10 the |
acre. You say you haven't time TO do |
thisP Then you have more land than
you have capital, and that Is an un'
happy lack OF combination.-W. Y. |
McSpanan, I'm Farm and Preside.
THE nAIDX ON THE EADM