The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-17
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the hay 1t would consume. The pota- toes were all consumed while more or less of the cassava was left.
 One team was put on a ration or six pounds of corn and five pounds of syrup, which proved very satisfactory.
 Since 1t is shown that three pounds of sweet potatoes may replace enc pound of corn, provided this substltu- ton does not exceed one-half the ra- tion, 1t follows that one acre yielding 150 bushels of sweet potatoes, is equal to a yield. of fifty bushels of corn, whereas the average yield of corn, on such land as would yield 150 bushels of sweet potatoes without fertilizer, is about twenty-five bushels It seems that the sweet potatoes are becoming more and more important.
 The Chemical Analysis of soits.
 The opinion is common that the chemist is in position to tell farm- CTS just exactly what his soil needs, hence the frequency with which the advice is given to send soil to the chemist in order to find out what 1t contains and what fertilizers will be required in order to make 1t produce properly. There are certain things which the chemist can tell with regard to soil and there are certain other things which he cannot tell. Among the former are the various items of plant food which the soil cont1ins. Some of this food is ii a readily avail able form while other portions of 1t are not. The analyses of the chemist do not tell the portion that is not available, consequently a soil may De somewhat rich in a certain ingredient and yet the crops grown on :he same may not be able to get d sufficient sup ply of that ingredient because it is in an inert form. and. therefore, inacces- sible in the meantime to the plant. Nor can the chemist tell the mechan- ical condition ot a soil. that IS to say, he cannot tell whether it is sufficiently friable to work easily or whether it Is in the best condition with reference to voracity and in other respects for the growing of crops. The chemical anal yses may represent an abundance of plant food in the soil for growing av- craze crops and 1t may be true at he same time that the plant food Is .n a sufficiently available form, but 1t may also be true that the chemical condi- ton of the soil Is such through lack of voracity and Inability that the roots of plants are unable to take up the food which the soil contains.
 In other respects the chemical analy- ses of soils are wanting. The farmer may take sample from certain part of his field. The conviction may be present in his mind that it is repre- sentative sample and yet 1t may not be truly representative because of the fact that some substances may have grown there which made the soil rich CT than certain other portions of the field not thus favored.
 The question then may be asked. does chemical analysis rander any scr vice to the farmer? We answer. un- questionably it does. A chemical analysis furnishes a general guide ar to what the soil contains, although 1t does not furnish a specific guide. The form of cows furnishes a~ general guide as to whether they are good for the making of meat or milk, but 1t would not be correct to say that anil mal form furnishes a specific and in- variable guide in this respect.-Ex- change.