The Columbus journal., 1904-03-16
Too Rich Soil Detrimes&aI.

100 Hocn SOL OeVfomeeot6u.
In the growth OF all plants that
form farm crops there seem to be two
processes that govern the Increase:
and the understanding Of the prin-
eiples Of these will. l think. help any
,armer and every farmer to form TO
tations for himself that viii be ex-
,eedingly valuable: whilst without IN
understanding Of these principles he
~ill be always cropping in the dark af-
Ter the best methoos, says Prof. J. J.
Robertson Of Canada. In the growth
If plants one set Of conditions make
or increase In the size Of the roots
md the stems and the leaves. These
are the vegetative part-the part OF .
plant that perishes utterly when the
,lant dies. There IL another part OF
she plant that does not perish when
she growth ends, viz, the seed that
.arries the life over to the next crop.
The conditions which make for the
.nlarsement Of the roots and the
stems and the leaves. do not make for
increased production of seeds. That
s to say, the conditions most favor
bile to the vegetable processes Of the
,lant are not favorable to the matur-
.ng processes, but are almost the 0ppo-
site. II you will allow me . parenthe-
els: The understanding Of that pr:n-
.iple, with the selection OF seeds, will
10 more to improve farming than any
lhing else I know of In regard to agrt'
culture. The set Of conditions favor
able for continued increase in size of
root and size of stem and size Of leaf
do not make for increase In the guam
tity Of seeds, but rather for the oppo-
cite. The extension Of the vesetattve
stages of development-the formation
of roots, stems and leaves-ts at the
expense Of the development Of the
productive parts-the seeds. Take the
instance Of q bunch Of oats growing In
q dung hill: what happens? A very
large root. q grossly large stem. broad
long leaves, and very, very. very few
seeds in the head. That Is to say. the
conditions that make for the con-
tiuued enlargement Of the root. the
increase Of the stem. and extension Of
the leaf do not make for an increase
in number and weight Of the seeds.
That Is an extreme case. but 1t re-
veals q principle. Now. take another
SET Of extreme conditions, where q
plant can grow only with difhculty.
either in root or stem or leaf. Look
on q hare roadside, where \ small
grass plant tries to form seeds when
only three or four inches high: then
count the percentage Of weight Of the
whole plant made up of the seeds; and
you have a revelation on the other
side. The conditions that make 1t diff.
fcult for . plant to grow . larger root
and a larger stem and larger leaves
after the time of ripening has come.
make for the increase of the number
of seeds and the increase of the pro
portion of weight they bear to that Of
the whole Plant. OF course. the con-
diti0ns that make for the increaee Of
size Of root and size of stalk and size
of leaf up to q certain point, also make
for the increase of seeds: because the
seeds arc formed out of what the
plant takes In. through it's leaves and
roots. But when there is an excess Of
available plant food in the soil, only
late in the growing and maturing pc.
riod Of the plant that may prevent
seeds from forming plentifully and
ripening thoroughly. That is what
happens frequently when farmyard
manure is ploughed in, in the spring,
for q grain crop.