The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1906-01-24

walton which have been unfortunately
overlooked which may, from certain
viewpoints. be new to many, and it
is my desire to call special attention
| to these For century and more
farmers have not been growing as
deep feeding-crops on their soils as
they might have raised to their mani
fest advantage and to the soils ma
terial Improvement. For a century
and more shallow blowing has been
followed: as a result a hard pan has
formed at "a slight depth below the
surface. and it is now. practically i'm
possible for the roots of the coarser
feeding-plants to strike deeply i'm the
sub-soil and find the adequate sup
plies of plant food which a wise
Providence has seen fit to store there.
This brings up for consideration
another phase of the subject which
had better be discussed at this point
What is man to do who is burdened
with a farm depleted of fertility pro
vided his means are small? First of
all. concentration is one of the greatest
principles of business 1t is through
the concentration of effort on a given
industry that most of our amazing in
pldntS HdNe DteD ucNtlOpeu-
Therefore. it should be the first princi-
pie of practice with the farmer. Guilt
vate lust as much land as you can
cultivate to the best advantages; let
the balance alone nature will cover
it up and take care of it and recuper
alton will set in. The process. is slow.
it is true. but it is efficient i'm the end.
which is the true measure after all
of success. But the poor farmer says.
81 have no credit nor money with |
which to purchase commercial fertili- |
ger. and, therefore. how can I hope |
to improve my land?" There is always |
a solution to the most vexing problem |
and in this instance. it lies first in |
careful. deep. thorough tillage. Where |
the land is clayey in character use the |
sub-soil pillow. If nothing better is |
available a bull-tOngue will answer |
Next, utilize some deep-rooting legum- |
nous crop. such as cOw-pea, or
the soy bean. or red clover. or the |
vetch. A fine seed bed with a good |
depth and well supplied with mois-
tIIre will do more to insure Il Satisfac-}
tory crop and provide nucleus for
the regeneration of your soil than a
lot of commercial fertilizer even of |
a good grade. scattered indiscrfminate-
ly over an inefficiently prepared seed
bed
These words represent an experience
Of more than ten years in study of
the soil problem as it cOnfrOnts the
small farmer of the South today. 1t
is apparent to all thinking men that
the first thing necessary to improve
the soil and make it productive is to
increase the store of plant food
Therefore why should it be necessary
to suggest the practice outlined above?
Why should it be necessary to dis
cuSS this subject over and over again
when the solution is so apparently
Self-evident? However, practice and
custom are two very curious things
and it is extremely difficult to over
come either one and so the small
farmer who is in distress very foolish
1y concludes that he cannot help him
self. because as he so frequently
writes: 81 have no funds with which
to buy commercial fertilizers, nor have
| stores of farmyard manure which T.,
am sure you will recommend" This I
is the most pathetic kind of CORES
nondence that comes to my attention. 3;
1t is the hardest to deal with because II
of the prejudice and disbelief which 4;
form so large a part of the makeup I
no in, hA a. | =