The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-31
Management of the Soil.

Philadelphia Record.
The management of the soil is at the pres
ent day a subject as important as the
management of stock, and as the soil can
gain or lose in fertility according to its
treatment, the value Of a farm depends
upon the manner in which the soil has
been cultivated. And not only does cuiti-
walton affect the soil, but the kind Of crop
grown thereon influences it, and changes
its quality and texture to certain extent.
Many soils have been brought to high
degree of fertility. with the aid of but a
limited amount of manure, by growing
leguminous crops, which not only cover
the soil and protect 1t, but which also de-
rive nitrogen from the air and add it to
the plant food already existing in the soil.
1t is not only in the gain of fertility that
the farm is enriched, but also in the pre-
vention of loss by so managing the soil
that even after the crop is removed pro-
lection is given against rains, heat and
frost. While these agents are at times
beneficial and important, under some con-
ditions of the soil it is necessary to guard
against losing that which is gained earlier
in the season of growth.
1t is an advantage to pillow some soils
late in the fall, but scientists are not
unanimous in their opinions regarding this
subject. 1t is. advocated that there Is too
portions of soluble matter are lost. Nature
covers the soil always, and never leaves it
exposed. Under the fallow system, prac-
ticed in former years, when resting" the
soil gained In fertility, yet the pillow was
not used during the resting period. The
gain in fertility was attributed to the scanty
growth of heritage, which covered the al
most barren fields but the real gain was
in the covering of the soil and the addition
a plant food brought down by the rains,
s1l1 vorf0 S.nI s,,&0 fbar n
stances by the Indigenous heritage cover
ing the soil a mulch, and thus promot-
ing the formation of humus. Learning from
experience 1T has occurred to many pro-
gressive farmers that mulching the soil is to
protect it against loss as we'll as to add to
it's fertility.
Weeds are claimed to be natures re-
Operative crops, which repair the losses
made by man. Weeds compel the indolent
farmer to cultivate the soil to save his
crops, and they at once cover the soil with
heavy growth as soon the farmer ceases
to have crops on the land. II the crops of
the farmer do not cover the soil so as to
form complete protection the weeds make
an attempt to gain the mastery, but when
the crop is heavy and dense the weeds are
kept down. Different soils may be COW
cred by different weeds, even the porous
soils having weeds that will thrive on them.
though not suitable elsewhere. If the
weeds are allowed to produce seed they
become a CROP but If plowed under they
add to the soil. The question then arises
as 10 covering the SOIL IN the winter. III
the land is plowed and then seeded to a
crop in the fall the soil is protected, but
if this is not done nature still makes a
further effort, with weeds that spring up
late in the season. to cover the soil with
a mulch. The subject is one that COM
mends itself to the consideration of farm
ers, and, though it is admitted that theory
is at present in the ascendency. yet
ii is believed that practical experiments
will in future lead to a complete revolu-
ton in the treatment of soils after the regu-
lar crops have been removed. Shading the
soil promotes fertility, and this gain occurs
mostly in summer. but il must be conserved
and retained in winter for use the following
year.