The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-15
Agricultural Department
CONDUCTED BY FULTON S. WHITE.

country live, wide awake progressive far mers who are constantly conducting var ious lines of soil building and soil protec- tion on their own lands; and IS rom these home practical experiments that we may hope to receive the best reports ol the best. results. The question or soll building and 8, protection must become the first consideration of every farmer If he expects to succeed. To this propo- sition no doubt we all agree, and the next question is, will be able to say anything that will assist you in this line of work.
 If the ear,n's surface was only level the work of making and caring for the soil would be comparatively easy but this not being the case we have to take the conditions as they exist, or as we find them Many of our farmers have selected for their homes rolling or hilly lands. Many of these rolling lands are rich when first cleared and have all the plant food within the soil necessary for the growth of fine crops, but as soon as the timber Is taken off and cultivation of the soil com menced then the wear and tear com mences. Soon the soil disappears and the fields are left almost barren. To prevent the soil of our rolling lands from wasting off or being carried away by OUT streams to the Gulf. Is the problem of the day. Our rain fall here in the south Is so great
 
 a time that 1t has to move and move 1t will. carrying everything before it. The soil too has to go md find Its lodgment in the bottoms or is carried off by the streams to the Gulf
 Grasses prevent to a certain degree the washing of our hillside farms, yet they ] do not entirely meet the demand, and even if they did, 1t Is not every farmer that can spare all of his land for grass. R1,-~ ,.-- aI k~ good advantage, yet these are found wanting in many cases and fail to give entire satisfaction. Then again both of these syst, ms are very unsightly on the farm. Tile drainage and deep subsoil blowing will help very much to protect our lands for where the land has under ground drainage with deep loose soil over 1t will take up a vast amount of water and if our rains were not so fu- rious and fast the soil would take them up and the underground dra4ns would car ry 1t off and the damage to the lands would be small; but we will never be able to regulate our rainfall. These heavy rains will come and when they do the wa ter will have to be disposed of In some manner, but before proceeding further on the question of soil protection I wish to ! say few words on soil formation.
 There is something peculiar in the for
 
 might have made the whole earth level and the bottom or subsoil covered all over with deep black sandy loam as we find in many sections, had He seen fit, but he has instead given us the foundation upon which we may build. The rich top or sur face soil of the earth has been formed by decayed vegetable matter. and this work has been going on no doubt ever since the earth was formed. It does not aIrn &o Il favorable conditions as we might sup pose on first thought. I can show you fine fields that are now capable of pro- ducinG 60 to 70 bushels of corn per acre. as we'll as being fitted for producing a large line of fine vegetables. These since my recollection were only, barren sand bars. These sand bars and islands began gathering soil and some form of vegeta- tion began to grow upon them. This be- ing allowed to rot and this system of soil making continued for few years until fertile fields were formed. These fields under the hand Of cultivation continue to enrich themselves each year without any fertilizer being applied by man, but these lands are level and lie either as islands in the rivers. or are close by, but not all these lands which I have in mind lying along our western rivers Ire subject to overflow and so do not receive their rich
 
 The only way in which I can account Tor their fertility lies in the fact that all the conditions on such lands situated as they are where moisture Is never lack ing are most favorable for a tremendous growth of rank vegetation. This vegeta- ton not only enriches the land by being allowed to decay but affords protection from the hot summer sun. Here is one Of the most important factors in soil building. keeping the soil from the hot sun, and covered In summer with soma Kind of vegetation either green or dry. These lands have many advantages over the lands In this section. First the rain 1all IS not so great. Second, during the long winters in the west where these lahos are located the whole surface is | covered with snow and under this snow ! the decay of vegetable matter is going on so that when spring arrives and the snow neits orr there is but short period that ne Soil IS exposed to sun and wind The iarticuiar lands which I have in mind "Hi' no matter how we'll cultivated, send p alter the crops are laid by an enor- housiy rank growth of vegetation. and 10 reasonable amount of labor can keen uo"H 'his growth. and as stated before ms growth Is of great benefit to the land by shading 1t.
 when was North last winter I was .aHeo upon to make q talk before a state Farmers Institute. followed several eminent agriculturalists who spoke at length on the subject of clean cuItlVation' which was all right in a ense, put when they advocated keep Ing the soil clean and regularly stirred aIter the crops were made l differed With them and made the statement
 l can have no other green vegeta- tlon growing on my lands in late sum- mer but weeds, give me the weeds. ' Ihis created great furore. and in re. ply they said l was the first man they ever saw who wanted weeds on his land at any time, but I repeat the statement If l can have nothing else green on the farm. give me the weeds. Some vegeta-