Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1907-05-15

The Necessity Of Putting In That
Which the Crops Take Out.

In many OF the older agriculture
regions. the main question to thu
farmer Is that Of supplying plant foos
for the soil. Year after year a Hello
has been called upon 10 produce the
same kind Of grain. consequently the
soil has lost its productive capacity
This land must now have food or Ia
value will be naught. This food must
be stored up In the soil. The farmer
thinks he cannot spare the land for
cIUver. but must put II In wheat OF
corn year after year In order To get q
good living from H. So crop rotation
does not appeal TO him. Other meas.
ures must be adopted. Fertilizer of
some nature must be used. and he
resorts TO II TO build up his land.
A good commercial fertilizer Is
beneficial TO the soil. but nothing IL
better than farm manure. The fer
filIty OF the wcll-manurcd land doc1
not pass away with the first crop.
but abides for several years. The
lasting effects Of farm manure on soil
was proven at an experiment station
In England. Manure was applied to
piece OF land once each year for 20
years. then II was discontinued. Over
20 years after the last application.
larger crops OF barley were secured
from this land than from land that
had never been MANFRED.
The reason many farmers do not
get the full benefit OF manure Is that
they allow Il to remain in piles about
the barn until Il deteriorates. or they
fail to apply II evenly TO the soil
Manure should always bc put on the
soil before 1t decomposes, for as Il
decays It acts upon tho mineral
particles OF the soil and changes
them into valuable plant food. An
alysis OF soil by experts shows that
II often contains large quantities OF
potassium and other Gle
ments In Inactive forms. When fresh
manure Is thoroughly mixed with this
soil II produces such n change In the
mineral elements that they at once be-
come available for plant life.
II Is said that farm manure does
not contain large amount OF total
plant food. only about 30 pounds Of nj.
irogen. phosphorus and potassium to
he ton. Its value then Is not 30
much In what II contains as In its
,cyer 10 operate on the mineral ele-
aents in the soil. changing them into
AVAILABLE plant material Experiments |
ave proven that when manure is ap-
lied to soil II produces 20 or 30 per
ent OF available plant food. The
PRODUCTS thus formed are. called hui
mates.
When we come to calculate the
ctual value OF manure In dollars and
ents. says Farmers Voice. the re-
ult Is surprising. Suppose an acre
Z Impoverished land that could pro-
uce no more than 20 bushels OF corn
a a favorable season Is treated to five
ons Of rich manure II the season Is
nspicious this acre win now produce
0 bushels OF good corn the first year.
his increase of 20 bushels. sold nj
cents. would bring ten dollars per
,n. Besides the land has n perma-
ent benefit. and will manifest Il
ON year to year.
The manure should always be dis
ibuted evenly. Too much In one
pot and not enough In another re-
Its dIsastrously. A manure spread
: IL almost indispensable TO the up ,
date farmer Some farmers get along
ithout them. but Il takes a lot OF I
me and patience to properly spread I
70 manure.