Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-04-27
FERTILITY FROM pEcAYINa
EANEC

A great deal of fertilizer is lost every
year by destroying decaying vegeta-
ton, instead of Incorporating 1t with
the soil, where it viii furnish hunus
and valuable mineral elsments, thus
greatly Increasing the fertility of the
soil.
The greater part of this decaying
vegetation is composed of leaves, and
we often see great piles of tilem being
burned during fall and spring, which
should be spread over the garden.
Some people use the leaves as a mulch
during the winter but burn them N
the spring. Instead of this they should
be either forked into the soil around
trees and plants where they will rap
idly decay and be of use to the plants,
or be piled In a heap, adding to all
kinds of refuse from the garden. wood
ash, sand, a little soil, Stops from the
house, etc, and let them rot In readl-
ness for use as potting soil for garden
ing purposes. 1t is best not to make
the piles too large. as during some sea-
sons there is a tendency to excessive
heating which burns up much of the
most valuable plant food. The mass
should be forked over occasionally. so
that all parts will be equally affected
by the sun. air and rain.
1t Is natural to suppose that valuable
elements are contained in these leaves,
as the food of plants and trees taken
in through the roots passes through the
cehs with the sap, and when the leaves
fall they become dry, and all the water
being thrown OF It leaves only the
solid matter that has been taken from
the SOIL
This, then, after serving it's purpose,
should be returned to mother earth ex-
actly as 1t is when the tree is through
with it. When burned and applied to
the soil, only ash remains. This is
valuable in itself, but SO much of the
plant food has been destroyed that it's
value is greatly diminished.
Nature has made grand provision
in planning to have the leaves fall I'M
de! trees and shrubs not only to pro-
tee the roots during cold winter and
no dry summers. but so the plant
food will be in just the place where
it will be needed again.
In the economy of nature, nothing is
lost, and these elements are used over
and over again. On this account the
soil of groves and wooded tracts does
not become Worn out as other land
does, requiring to be heavily fortified
often to keep the growing crop in good
condition, though great growth of tim
Der is being made all the time. When
all leaves are removed from around
the trees on the lawn in the fall. it
often causes great HARM providing a
tidy looking lawn at the expense of
the we'll being of the trees.
The leaves lying as they fall form
n blanket during winter which will
keep the moisture from the soil around
the roots. If the weather is very Sc
we're, trees and plants are often killed
on account of the dryness of the roots.
the soil freezing dry. then all the mois
ture is drawn from the root and they
are within no condition TO withstand
extreme cold.
The evaporation through the cells Of
the tree is, of course, very much less
during the dormant season, yet it goes
on iii a small way all winter, SO il
there is not enough moisture in the soil
to keep up the supply needed, the trees
will often be killed.