The Colfax chronicle., 1904-05-28
FARMER AND PLANTER.
LEGUMINoUs CROPS.
They Are Among the Most Valuable
I'm Replenishing the Soil With
Valuable Plant Food.

ing their supply of nitrogen from the
air. There are a number of plants
that have this power. The ones most
generally cultivated are the different
kinds of clover,- beans, peas and
vetches. These plants have the pow
er by means of certain kinds of bac-
terra, which attach themselves to the
roots of the growing plants, of draw
ing upon the free nitrogen of the air
and so appropriating it to the use OF
the growing plants. This bacteria un-
til recently has been classed as be-
longing to the animal kingdom, but OF
recent years they are classified as
plants. They are single-celled. and
composed almost entirely OF pro.
toplasm. Free nitrogen is not availa-
BILE for the use of growing crops, but
must be in a combined state before it
is available for plant growth; so we |
may readily see the advantage OF this |
bacteria; 1t combines the free nitrogen |
and makes it available for plant |
growth For growing leguminous |
crop a soil need not contain much nj |
trogen if it contains the bacteria suit
ed to the class of legumes to be
grown, as it Is rendered independent
of this most costly element of fertility.
The soil is left richer in nitrogen after
a crop of legumes has been grown,
even if it is removed, as the roots and
stubble will contain considerable nj
trogen. This can not be said OF wheat,
corn, oats and various grasses, as all
of the nitrogen contained. in the part
removed comes directly from the soil.
If the proper bacteria is not contained
in the soil scientists tell us that the
| legumes may become soil impoverish-
| ers the same as other crops, as they
| must depend upon the soil for their
| supply of nitrogen. The soil must con-
tain the proper bacteria in order that
the legumes may be soil enrichers, and
| if it is not naturally in the soil it must
be supplied artificially. Soils may be
inoculated so as to give start OF bac-
terra by sowing small quantity OF
soil known to contain this bacteria up
| on the soil to be inoculated. 1t has re-
Gently been claimed by good authori-
ty that where there is an abundance
of nitrogen already in the soil that the
legumes prefer this to the free nitro
gen of the air, even if there is bacteria
in the SOIL Acid soils are not adapted
to the growth of legumes, as the bac-
terra will not flourish in such soils un-
til the acidity is corrected. This may
be done by applying lime to the soil.
The lime will neutralize the acidity.
Nitrogen in it's free state constitutes
about four-fifths of the air, so it is ev-
ident that the legumes have an un-
limited supply within their reach. Nj
trogen combined in the body and seeds
of plants in the ratio of one to 6.25
forms protein. This protein is the
most costly element of food. 1t is the
element of food which is most used in
building up the muscles and tendons
of animals, and is leading element In
milk and also in the animal matter oi
bones. We see that it is necessary
for plants to have nitrogen in order te
lay up protein. Without this protein
the seeds of plants would never ger
} | u1lHdt6. Aulludio uiuot hn'O PAOeSA-
in order to grow bones, tendons, AM
muscles; SO without this most costly
, element of fertility vegetable or ami
NAL life would be impossible. So VIZ
may readily see the Importance OF thu
, legumes, as they seem to be the onl,
natural connecting link between thu
natural supply of nitrogen in the al
| MI q os
{ in the vegetable and animal kingdom
The legumes seem to be the onl,
: practical means of supply the sol
Z with nitrogen in order to make goo
: the losses from the removal OF crop
: and from bad farming. Since nitro
|. gen is the most easily wasted elemen
:, in the soil, and the rarest element i
the average commercial fertilizer, an
e as most crops remove more nitroge
: from the soil than any of the othe
elements of fertility it seems tina
a many farmers are not awake to thei
Z best interest or they would pay NOR
Il attention to the cultivation of legume
= AS as illustration of the relative rati
h of the elements of fertility remove
a from the soil by our leading crops,
A will give the following from the la
p est investigations. Thirty-five bushe
10 of wheat grown upon an acre
l. ground will remove sixty pounds I
s, nitrogen, thirty-one pounds of potas
lg and twenty-four pounds of phosphor
20 acid in the grain and straw; thirt
se bushels of rye will remove about fit,
r, one pounds of NITROGEN, forty-d'
is pounds of potash, and twenty-s
is pounds of phosphoric acid; fifty bus
oo els of corn will remove about sixt
III seven pounds of nitrogen, eigh
's' pounds of potash and thirty-one poun
y. of phosphoric acid. The average cor
ie mercial fertilizer recommended +
le these crops contains about ten p
- cent of phosphoric acid, two per ce
Of nitrogen, and two per cent potas
=. If two hundred pounds per acre OF II
~ fertilizer is applied to one acre
wheat there will be only about enou
:. nitrogen in it to grow two bushels, a
- enough potash to grow four bushels
applied to one acre of corn the T.
=, hundred pounds of fertilizer would CO
3. tain only enough nitrogen to gr'
three bushels, and not enough pota
L n.