The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-04-29
Humus in Connection WithFertilizers

High grade commercial fertilizers alone
no green crop in the meantime being
turned down nor other means devised to
rich the soil. In a few years the humus
VIII be exhausted, leaving the soil dead
and compact. Soils that are deficient in
humus viii show the effects of drouth
much more seriously than those that
have been properly supplied.
II commercial fertilizers alone be used
there Will be but little or no humus ana
carbonic acid gas produced, and unless
these elements are present in proper
quantities, there can be no profitable
farming
After a green crop has been turned
down, the oxygen Of the air OF of rain
water combines with the carbon of che
decaying vegetable matter and forms car
bOnic acid gas; humus in the meantime
being also produced. Said gas is a pow
erful solvent. and attacks certain rebel
lious elements in the soil, reducing them
TO plant food, hence humus and carbOnic
acid gas are the law and the prophets
of successful farming, and proper means
should BE devised to produce them.
Any green crop turned down at ma
turity will produce humus and carbonic
gas, but a legume crop, such as clover
or COW peas is preferable, for the addition
to the humus and carbonic acid gas, a
bouEtiful supply of nitrogen Will be
drawn from the air. A good crop of COW
: as will easily draw from the air over
100 pounds Of nitrogen per acre, worth
u cents per pound.
The New Jersey Experiment Station
claims that an acre Of crimson clover
of pn1
clover will do better still. We will, how
| ever. be moderate and put the value of
| nitrogen gathered by an acre of cow peas
or clover at s15. When either crop is
| turned down, nitrogen to said value is
/ returned to the soil for the benefit of
1.-the next crop. Here. then, is an adyan-
/ taga Of at least SIS per acre in favor Of
| employing leAume crops for Improvement
| purposes in lieu of other crops. such as
rye oats, etc, that do not draw nitrogen
! from the air.
The ranker the growth the greater
viii be the quantity of nitrogen drawn
| from tho air; therefore it will usually
Pay we'll to fertilze literally.
The following fertilizer may be en-
| Dloyed per acre for clover or peas
| Acid phosphte. 250 to 800 pounds: kainit,
300 to 500 pounds broadcast and plow in
shallow, preferably g few weeks before
seeding: from 75 to $50 pounds of muriate
of potash may be used in lieu Of the
| kainit
For cow peas the fertilizer NAV be ap-
Piled in the drills. and properly mixed
with the soil, thus doubling the beneficial
results usually derived from broadcast
ing.
| I will here emphasize the fact that il
commercial fertilizers be applied direct
TO sells for a number of years, say fvc
to ten no hurnus nor carbonic gas in the
meantime being produced, the soil vii
continue TO grow poorer and poorer
however large the applications may be
IN proof OF this statement | herewith
submit the following: The New 1orf
Experiment Station has made ten year
experiment. along the same line. Thret
plots eGral in every way lying adjacen'
were used The WELD Of each, withou
fertilizer. was about y bushels of "hea
TO the acre.
con NJ /. 500 pounds of high grade fer
tilizers We're used every wear. On No. 2
rothing was used. This plot was plough
ed and narrowed repeatedly from th'
time OF reaping to the time Of sowing IL
the fall On No 3, four tons o. good sta
bic manure we're used wear. The resul
was that No 3 with no help continued t
increase in yield from II to 80 bushel
, per acre. and made moro wheat in th'
| ten years than either No. / or No. ;. No
!, with commercial fertilizers. rapid,
increased for a few years and then rap
idly decreased coming out third IN tn
average '-Southern Cultivator. Atlanta
Ca, March Is, 1900.
| From the foreeoine it would seem tha
with deep and frequent cultivation, fer
, riliZers can he dispensed with, but sue
is not the case. The little value rendere
by ire stable manure Of No. 3 is probabl
attributable to previous heaping OF tn
manure to rot, carbonic acid gas beln
thus produced in tho heap TO escape int
: the waste instead &C irtC the soil wheI'
wanted Hence a stable manure shoul
Re applied direct from TO stable TO tn
field and plowad in shallow, where. dur
ing tho period of accommodation. humu
and carbGnic acid gas will be pro tu@ad.
BRYAN TYSON.
; Carthage n. G..