Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-04-28
FERTILITY FROM pEcAYING
LEAVES.

A great Zeal of fertilizer is lost every
year by destroying decaying vegeta-
tion. instead of Incorporating it with
the soil. wher II viii furnish humns
and valuable mineral elements, 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 them being
burned during fan and spring. which
should be spread over the garden.
Some people use the leaves as u mulch
during the winter, but burn them IN
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 ia "a heap. adding to all
kinds OF refuse from the garden. wood
ash. sand, a little soil, Stops from the
E)use. etc., and let them rot In readi-
ness for use as potting soil for garden
ing II 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 ood The mass
should be forked over occasionally. SO
that all parts will be equally affected
by the sun, air and rain.
IL is natural TO suppose that valuable
clements are contained i'm these leaves,
as the food of plants and trees taken
in through the oots passes through the
cells with the sap, and when the leaves
fall they become dry, and all the water
being thrown off IL leaves only the
solid matter that has been taken from
the soil.
This. then, after serving its purpose,
should be returned to mother earth ex-
actly as il is when the tree is through
with ii. When burned and applied TO
the soil, only ash remains. This is
valuable in itself. but SO much of the
plant food a been destroyed that it's
value is greatly diminished.
Nature has made a grand provision
in planning to have the leaves fall un-
der trees n shrubs, not only TO pro-
tee h roots during cold winter and
no dry summers. but so the plant
food will be in just the place where
II will be needed again.
In the economy of nature, nothing Is
lost, and these elements are used Owe
and over again On this o the
soil of groves and wooded tracts does
not become worn out as other land
does, requiring to be heavily fertilized
often TO keep the growing crop in good
condition, though great growth of tim
Der is being made all the time. When
All ledNeS are from AROUND
the trees on the lawn in the fail, IL
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
a blanket during winter which will
keep the moisture from the soil around
the roots. IL 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, vet it goes
on in a small way all winter, SO If
there is not enough moisture in the soil
to keep up the supply needed. the trees
win often be killed.