Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-09-27
Preserve Soil Fertility.

tisement of an enterprising fertilizer
manufacturer. 1t catches the eye; 1t
makes an impression on the mind; 1t
sells the goods. 1t contains truth so
self-evident that il forms an axiom. 1t
is true all over the agricultural world; /;
the land must be fed in some way. No
land under cultivation continues for any
length of time to produce maximum
crops, however deep it's natural soil may
be or however rich it may appear to be
in available plant food.
While in conversation with farmer
from one of the prairie states of the
Northwest the other day, he made the
remark that his soil was so deep and
rich that its fertility could never be
exhausted, but admitted soon after that
wheat did not grow on his land as it did
formerly. Unconsciously to him, per-
haps, the fertility of his land has begun
to wane and ere long stock feeding will
come as a natural sequence, and will
help to renew the available plant food in
his soil.
The feeding of crops to animals and
returning the resultant manures to the
lands on which the crops grew is the
simplest, the safest, the most profitable
method of feeding land. By this system
the farmer also gets as near to nature's S
method as is possible, and takes food
and sustepance from the soil. In the
practice of the skillful stock feeder,
there are three successive steps. Ma
ture, guided by his hand, winds up the
spring, taking certain elements to do so,
in the growing plant. The mature plant
goes to grow and maintain the animal,
who uses certain other elements OF an
opposite nature, then he returns por-
tions of the plant that he cannot use,
and, finally, taking the third step, gives
himself back to nature, to insure another
growth, and the round is complete.
Commercial fertilizers have come to
broaden the work of farming; to assist
in maintaining soil fertility, and to add
to the profits of the farm. Their use
does not lessen, but, rather, increases,
the necessity to carefully husband and
intelligently use the animal manures.
Therefore, the best and surest way of
doing this, avoiding waste, and by
proper application to the soil. getting
the greatest possible results in plant
growth from given amount of manure,
becomes of great importance to us all.
The first step to be taken is to learn
to appreciate fully that in every pound
of animal waste there are possibilities
for growing crops; and that these crops,
when grown, possess two distinct values
the value that the animal takes from
them and the elements to rebuild another
plant which he canr OF use. The follow
ing words, written by Victor Hugo, and
read years ago, made such an impression
on me that have always remembered
them: "Do you know" Manure in
the trench behind the COWS each morn
ing, and thus thoroughly mixing it with
the COW manure, the colder cattle ma
uure helping to counteract the tendency
of the horse manure to heat. This
process is further extended by keeping
the heaps, which are in basement, as
nearly level as possible, thereby avoid
ing any tendency of the liquid portions
to leak out and leave the solids in con-
dition to heat.
The next and last step is the appli-
cation of these manures to the soil in
such a way that there shall be no loss
there. The general principles involved
here are, first, that the manure shall be
drawn from the barn and at once spread
evenly and finely over the ground. This
may be done in spring or fall, as is most
convenient to the individual farmer.
Then, after having been spread thus
evenly and finely, it should be thorough
ly Incorporated with the soil. l know
of no better tool for this purpose than
the plough. Other tools may do it. but
the plough, skilfully handled must do it.
We use plough that turns rolling,
somewhat broken furrow, always using
pointer when turning greensward. In
this way we find the manure all the way
from the top to the bottom of the fur
row and the disk and smoothing harrow
leave it so fine and so we'll mixed with
the soil that it forms part it. When
we do not use the manure spreader, but
spread by hand from the carts, heavy
brush harrow is drawn over the freshly
spread manure. This fines it up better
than any other tool we ever used.
Most of the manure at The Pines is
spread ON the greensward. The land
being ploushed twice in the rotation,
the second ploughing is always slightly
deeper than the first, so that all the or
ganic matter and all portions of the
manure which perchance may not have
become absorbed by the soil are moved
again, and the fitting of the second seed
bed completes the job.-B. Walker
McKeen in Tribune Farmer.