The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-15

ble matter, and the more the better, must enter into the makeup of our soils. I do not claim that 1t Is at all necessa- ny to have weeds for this purpose. for we have so many valuable plants which can be made to serve the same purpose that of soil building-and at the same time be productive of valuable crops.
 We have various species or varieties of clovers and grasses; then we have rye and stock peas. these last two being almost universal plants, or plants that may be used over very large portion of the earth. There are many other valuable plants; In fact. too many to att tempt to make mention of here. The thing Is for the farmer to understand his conditions, or the conditions of his land which should guide him in making a wise selection suitable for his wants in soil building. I wish to say I am not so fearful of weeds as are many farmers. The weeds that come up in our crops In the early spring should be a lesson to every farmer and he should know from the weed growth what the condition of his land is and what crops he may expect to get from lands pro- ducing certain weeds.
 To illustrate this proposition I will state that We arc conducting a line of experimental farming this season, and among other crops we have in six acres of melons. consisting of Q great many varieties. gentleman came into the field the other day where I was hoeing and remarked: Your melons look well what do you think of the pros pect?" I said to him: ''I have every prospect of a good oror if we are fla vored with a good season, for this land is well adapted to. melons" Why do you think so?" was the reply said: Do you. see the burs and morning glories coming up thick? This Is an in- dication that this land contains an enor- ,mous amount of decayed vegetable plant food, and that it is in a healthy condition; and where these plants grow, melons as well as many other vegeta- bles will grow" This land has been made entirely by dccayed vegetable mat ter, as 1t has never had any care, cul- tivation or fertilizer. Now, if instead of the burs~ and morning glories, smart weeds. sour dock, dog fennel and fox tail grass was coming I should rot fell much encouraged for a crop of melons, so even our seemingly worthless weeds all contain valuable lessons for the stu dent of agriculture.
 Every farmer should fully acquaint himself with all these weed indications of the soil. There are mysteries and many things concerning the earth 8 formation that we may never be able to understand. why we ma sections where soils are so easily builded and yet others where the process Is so slow is also a mystery. Now. of course. there are but few soils such as have men, tioned which continue fertile from year to year without any assistance. Then I can also point to fields just as rich and fertile as the ones mentioned that twen- ty years ago were only large ponds oi water, inhabited by musk rats and wild fowls. The soil was there already formed
 under the water. and was made by de- cayed vegetation and all that was nee essary was to reclaim the land by drain age.
 There is another condition of soil form | ation, or rather transformation. whicf | comes nearer home to us. Now tn, | question have given much thought con- corning our timber lands of the Soutf | Is. why are they so slow in the forma' | ton of fertile soils. We have an enor | nous amount of decayed vegetable mat | ter, or should have in timber land. nnt | why Is it that the process of soil build
 ing is so slow as compared with that o
 the Western prairie states. We have 1T | our timbered land all the shade needed | for summer protection, and yet the sol l in our woods Is thin as a rule, and thi! condition Is not by any means confined to our hills. Many of our level land