The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-04-06
ABOUT SOIL.

1ng 70 the amounts OF particles OF va
rious sizes which Constitute the soil.
r. order to secure uniformity OF clas-
sIncation and description . conven'
tlonal table OF sIxes has been adopted
b. the Bureau Of Soils. United States
Department Of Agriculture, and the
coils arc described In the terms OF
this table. Thus oil material above
two mIllemetres (about liz Of an
inch) are classed rs gravel and stone;
from one millimetre to onehalf MILL
metre, or about the size OF clover
seed, the grains are called coarse
sand: from one half TO one-ouarter
millimetre the grains are classed as
medium sand: from one-Quarier 10
one-tenth millimetre as nne sand;
from one-tenth TO ave one-hundredth
millimetre Is very hne sand. So Tar
all grains are readily distinguishable
by the eye rs separate fragments OF
various minerals. and q little knowI
edge OF the appearance OF dinerent
minerals enables one TO identity the
grains a. belonging TO one or more
Of 4 half dozen common rock and soil
forming minerals. The next two
grades, silt (5-l00 TO $4,000 and clay
(smalier than $1,000 millimetre) are
impalpable powders when dry, ana
sheir mineral composition can be
made out only under . high power
microscope by q person skilled In 'ne
RECOGNITION of minerals In small frag'
ments.
Pure silt when moist is not gritty.
like the different grades Of sand. or
plastic and coherent. like the ex-
tremely minute PARTICLES OF clay.
The various grades OF sand usually
make up the skeleton or framework
Of the majority Of soils. They render
= soil more or less open or porous
depending both on the size OF the
sand grains and their relative proper
tons In the total mass. The silt rem
ders 4 soil solid and somewhat com
psct making II particularly adhesive
even when vet. The clay. II present
IN proportions above 10 to Is per cent.
renders q soil waxy and adhesive
vhen vet and either granular ana
cloddy when dry or else solid anu
jmpervious.
The radiation of soils according to
Che sise Of the component grains II
= classification according to the soil
texture. Il n the common classinca'
ton Of the practical farmer, and the
mschsnicai analysis. and standard
sizes OF grains are merely used In
order That the terms used in one To-
eality may be more widely inteliisi-
bic. Thus soil made mp OF large
grains. possessing an open. porous
structure. draining freely and work
ing easily, Is. by common acceptauon'
= sand. But one locality might con-
oder 4 given sand as coarse. while IN
\ different locality II would be esti-
mated a only medium. similarly
soils locally known ~ ciays frequent
IL nnd their place In wider ciassi
6cation rs clay loans or heavy loans.
A county Astounding In clay soil might
rive rise 10 a local classification Oh
tighter lands rs sands. when they ac-
tualiy deserve to be called SANDY
loans.
The physical properties OF soils de-
mend not only on the texture OF tne
soil. the size OF the component grains
INIT also upon the structure OF tne
voli---that Is, the arrangement Oh the
soil particles In space. the tue. ID II
A frequently called. Thus a clay soil
NAV be granulated and loamy, easy
20 tIll. we'll drained and well aired,
or Il may be SO puddled and mixed
THAI Il forms a Shiny. plastic mass
WIEN wet and dries 70 n consistency
a; concrete. In both cases the me-
chanicai analysis might show almost
identical texture, but mere inspec-
ton would show q vast difference In
ths arrangement OF soil grains. the
structure. The frst soil would DC
seen 90 consist OF lot OF clay peo'
bles or grains, eacn made up OF rnou'
sands of much more minute indivi'
dual grains. Each compound grain IN
A itself minuteiy porous: while be-
tween Il and Its surrounding granuies
large pore spaces exist. The second
soiI N made up OF n mass OF minute
grains 30 evenly distributed that NJ,
large pore spaces intervene, and only
the most minute openings exist In the
soil. The firs, soil Is In good condi-
ton. suited to crop production. easy
20 till. productive. The second Ia
quite often barren and unproductive.
with me same chemical composition
ana the same texture, but with such
. difference In structure. the hrst soil
forms a fertile. productive field; the
second forms q barren waste 1T only
70 support weeds or TO furnish clay
for Neutrality-suspicious. Farmer.
GET THE CALF STARTED RIGHT
II s worth while TO get the calf
started right. Everything depends
upon Il, 90 IL will not lose a day In
gaining.
would select a high grade Short
horn or Hereford calf. bred from
registered bull OF the beef type. Feed
the COW corn and cob meal with bran
mixed, and . litsie oil meal. With all
the clover hay the COW wants. The
- x~sftrad vshtta thu rQlf