The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-21
Our DUTY to the soil.

OuT Dutg 10 Nhe Soil
When we come to- seriously think Of
, the way we often treat our cultivated
soils and what we expect Of them. il
would seem that we often ask too
much says Prof Van Weman in
American Cultivator. The practical re-
suits are so unsatisfactory, in many
cases, that il would be the part OF
wisdom TO study more deeply into the
whole subject of soil treatment; yet it
is far too rare that this is done with
sufficient care. The common practice
is to guess at what to do to improve
the soil and increase the crops. or to
do nothing but take off what can be
produced.
Virgin soils are capable of producing
good crops for a longer or shorter
time without other treatment than
ordinary tillage. Occasionally there
are soils that are naturally too poor
TO produce crops Of any kind, at least
in profitable quantities. Such are real
ly barren soils. Even those that seem
so may often prove productive when
irrigated and fertilized.
1t is exceedingly rare that any soil
is so fertile, naturally, that it will not
become less fertile after some years
of cropping, and in the course Of time
Improbable or nearly so.
The supply of humus is generally
the first thing to become exhausted.
1t is the decayed vegetable matter
that makes the soil loose, porous and
dark, and when this begins to wear
out, as it is sure to do in time, the
soil gradually becomes compact and
hard, except where it is very sandy.
To maintain a sufficient supply for
humus is necessary. The stubble and
other crop refuse in the field helps to
maintain it. Coarse manures of any
kind are good sources of humus. Soil
ing crops are helpful in this way, even
if thev do not add other elements of
fertility. There is nothing better.
however, for this purpose than the le-
gumes, such as cloVers and peas. In
the Southern States the cowpea has
long been known and used to some ex-
tent as a soil improver, and it is grad
ualy coming into use to the North.
They are sown in cornfields where the
crop is being laid by and as a main
crop or a second crop after an early
one. In am of these cases the cow
pea is a wonderful help, for it not
only adds humus to the soil. but nitro
gen as well, and this latter is one of
the essential properties of every fer
tile soil. 1t gets it from the air, and
that is so much clear gain.
Where nitrogen must be added to
the soil artificially, nitrate of soda
or slaughter house refuse such as
tankage, dried blood, etc, are useful.
Phosphoric acid often becomes lack
ing in the soil. There are several
sources from which to obtain it, such
as animal bone or what is known as
phosphate rock, which is the remains
of the bones of prehistoric animals
that were somehow deposited in beds
of greater or less extent. These rem
ground and then treated with acid to
still further reduce them and make
them available plant food. The bones
of our modern animals when finely
ground or dissolved with acid make
excellent plant food. Annual applica-
tions of 200 pounds dissolved bone or
500 pounds of dissolved phosphate rock
per acre will be found to do great
good to most soils.
Another of the important elements
of fertility needed is potash. Wood
ashes have a small proportion of pot
ash, and also some phosphoric acid,
but it is not possible to obtain enough
for general purposes. Fortunately
there are natural deposits of potash
in certain districts in Germany, whence
we can and do get an abundant sup
ply at reasonable cost.
There German potash salts are
known to the trade by various names
KANT is one of them and contains
about 1914 per cent. of available pot
ash, which is more than double that
of the best wood ashes. Muriate of
potash has over so per cent. of potash
and so has sulphate of potash, and
they are generally considered by prac-
tical farmers to be the cheapest of all
the potash fertilizers. Applications of
100 pounds per acre of muriate or sui
phate of potash each year where the
crops show lack of vigor under ordi-
nary treatment, will be found to work
great change for the better.
Lime is also useful in stiff clays and
in soils containing too much humus or
organic matter. In such cases about
twenty-five bushels per acre of fresh
lime will help to correct acidity in the
soil and make too stiff soil more
loose.
1t is also necessary for us to do our
full duty in the way of tillage. This
materially aids in the whole work of
growing good crops. If we do our
duty by the soil it VIII usually re-
spond with good crops, and that is
what we are all after.
Ration for Fattening Cattle.
please tell me what you consider an