Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1907-12-26
EFFECT OF TlLLACE ON FERTlL-
lTY AND TEXTURE OF SOILS
BY J. A. Humnei, Assistant Chemist
Minnesota College Of
Agricuiture.-

| tiSHicis VALUABLE dSScl. ny sui Va
| good texture we mean one that 10
finely divided and at the same time
mellow and friable. A aoil possessing
these qualities will produce better
crops than another containing the
same amount of plant food, hut which
is hard and lumpy. In y soil of good
texture plants find conditions most
favorable to their growth, because
such a soil retains moisture: is better
ventilated; has less variation in TEN.
perature; nitriiication is FASTENED be-
cause of better ventilation; more
plant food from the minerals is rem
dered available; the plant roots pene-
trate deeper. a.,>. therefore have a
better hold and there is more surface
on which they can feed.
In Bulletin No 119 of the Cornell
experiment station we find the follow.
| ing statement: Every good farmer
knows that hard and lumpy soil will
not grow good crops no matter how
much plant food it may contain. A
clay soil which has been producing
good crops for any number of years
| may be SO seriously injured by one
injudicious blowing in wet time as
to ruin it for the growing of crops
for two or three years. The injury
lies in the modification of it's physical
texture, not in the lessening Of its
plant food. A sandy soil may also be
seriously impaired for the growing
of any crop if the humus or decaying
organic matter is allowed to burn out
on it. 1t then becomes leachy, it
quickly loses its moisture and it be.
comes excessively hot in bright. sunny
weather. Similar remarks may be ap-
piled to all soils. That is. the texture
or physical condition of the soil is
nearly always more important than
its mere richness in plant food"
The first step in the enrichment Of
non.productive land is to improve it's
physical condition by means of careful
and thorough tillage, by the addition
of humus, and perhaps by under drain.
age. 1t must first be put in such con
dition that plants can grow in 1t
After that the addition of chemical
fertilizers may pay by giving addi
ttonal redundant growth.
Tillage is one of the most important
agencies for producing good texture
The stirring of the soil as in cultiva
| ton destroys the forces which are al
| work in the soil to draw and hold
the particles of soil together in com
pact mass. and the soil is made fine,
thus extending the feeding area Of the
roots. and enabling the air to enter
the soil and move freely about in it.
| Flowing is one of the most efficient
means of pulverizing the soil. The
moldboard of a pillow is SO shaped that
the furrow slice is not merely invert-
ed, but it is ground and broken and
left in nearly perpendicular posi-
ton. Heavy clay soils should not be
plowed when they are SO wet that
they will puddle. When wet clay is
worked, as in blowing, the conditions
are such that the fine particles slide
over each other easily, and are drawn
closer together. air is forced out, and
the soil in drying forms large com
pact masses which are broken up with
exceeding difficulty. A clay soil IL
properly handled and not plowed
when too wet is usually very produc
tive, but if plowed when too wet II
may be rendered unproductive for
several years.
The harrow and the shallow cult
l vator are valuable implements for i'm
proving the texture of the soil They
are especially valuable when used as
soon after rain as possible without
pudding the soil. When 50 used they
prevent the soil from drying into large
hard masses. let air into the sol! and
conserve moisture.
Soil made up Of very fine grainB as
a clay soil not well under-drainei
and firmly compacted is unproductive
because plant roots penetrate it will
difficulty, and even when they do, {
lack of air in the soil prevents al
growth. Such>a soil has exceedingly
small spaces between the particles ant
these spaces are filled with water il
wet season, completely excluding
air. .a, areg'@-'
J When clay soil is properly titled
the fine particles do not form com
pact masses. but compound grains ar,
formed by the cementing together o
number of the particles. The ex
tstence of the compound grains of sol
makes the soil porous, the spaces be
tween are filled with air and the root
. can penetrate easily. The continue,
stirring or cultivation of the soil an,
numerous heavy rains tend to breal
, up these compound soil grains and tn,
, fine particles run together, filling VI
the larger spaces. In such cases rota
, ton of crops which includes frequen
t seeding down to grass and allowin,
! the land to remain as hay or pastur
| land will prove beneficial This !
: natures method for keeping the so!
In good texture. The grass prevent
e the pudding of the soil by heav
:, Gains and the roots by their growt
k and decay make the soil loose an
S porous. Air enters the soil and assist
4 in dissolying lime or other material
q which cement the fine particles tt
n sether into compound grains, and thu
g he open mellow texture so much de
II sired is secured.
d The application of lime on heav
r. clay soil ii beneficial, because lin
serves to Cement the particles togethe
s INTO compound grains, making the so
, more friable and easily titled.
n Fall blowing OF clay soils is usual
. beneficial because the exposure t
vintor froozfnu forcoc tI,o o,,,, ,,..A
:les apart and this makes the sol