The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-11-01
SOIL IMPROVEMENT DISCUSSED.

humus This humus when in contact with soil
substance plays an important chemical function.
| 1t, too, like the oxygen of the air, helps to
! make available plant food. When you pillow
under green crop, heating is a result. This
heating is evidence that some chemical change is
taking place. Soil is not soil from the farmers
standpoint unless some humus be present. This
then is method by which the farmer can i'm
prove his soil: get plenty of organic matter mixed
with the soil particles so that abundant humus
will be formed.
Right here 1 shall touch on the subject OF deep
/ plowipg. l am treading on dan erous ground
and shall probably find many who do not agree
with me; but hope what say will get you to
talking, for then you will be interested. had
talk with Prof Spillman Yesterday about this sub
lject. He told me of a farmer in this county who
came to him last year for instruction as to the
raising of a hay crop by seeding in the late sum-
mer The man came to the Professor Saturday
and informed him that the crop had been a
failure. When questioned no fault could be found
with the way the farmer had carried out instruc-
tons A neighbor, however, came forward with
the information that the soil in the hay field had
been plowed out three or four inches deep. Here
was the whole trouble. Below that three or four
inches no humus was present in the SOIL How
could the plant roots get food in this sour solid
area? Clay sub-soil will not produce plant
growth; that is not until humus be mixed with it.
1 wish some of you would pillow under good
rank growth OF some green manure crop and
pillow it under seven or eight inches deep and ex-
pect to lose crop for one year. Try this on a
small plat and see the result. When the organic
matter decays and becomes humus you will have
seven inch soil in place of three or four inch
one. OF course, all soils would not act the same
this is a general experiment and wish you would
try it. By blowing little deeper each year you
would get the same result in time, but by losing
crop on this small plat you can convince your
selves of the benefit of deep blowing with humus
present 1 hope to hear discussion of this deep
blowing question by the farmers present. 1t is an
important subject and worthy of thought.
| In commenting on the address
several expressed their belief in
deep blowing and cited instances
where it was proving beneficial,
while others we're somewhat skep-
i teal over the benefits to be derived
and feared to disturb existing con
1 ditions in the soil.
| The following committee of in
spection was appointed and an ad
ljournment taken for dinner: Messrs.
Wayne Reynolds, A. r. Brown
and A. B. McVey.
/ The repast proved such an at.
tractive feature that it was with
reluctance that the com mittee of in
Ispection of premises took up their
duties, but after reassembling they
reported having noted among things
on the we'll farmed premises, three
or four loads of old corn still in the
crib, plenty of hay and wheat, the
latter not yet threshed, bin of good
oats, $50 bushels of good potatoes,
a splendid corn field, an excellent
orchard with the trees set far apart
and loaded with fruit, around the
yard was beautiful privet hedge;
the stock consisted IOf five cows,
seven heifers, several good farm
horses, IL head of sheep, stock
hog and two sows.
| Elwood Balderston in speaking
of the banner apple crop this year
read a clipping from a Baltimore
paper wherein it stated that the
apple crop of Berkeley county, w. |
Va, this year was 10000 barrels,
which was about 10000 short of
the crop two years ago. The crop
there this year is valued at 5000
900. Big profits were being re-
allied by individual growers, one
grower selling his crop of 10000
barrels for more than $4,000,
another orchardist sold his crop of
5000 barrels for $4,000 and still
another realized $1,000 per acre,
40 trees averaging $50 per tree.
Mr.. Scarborough said he had six
apple trees barked by sheep and
asked if there was any way of pre-
serving them. He was told to try
a coating of manure and tar and
wrap with bagging.
j After discussion of the scarcity
of farm help for which there did
not seem to be any immediate rem
/ edy, the club went into executive
session.
DIR. j. |. France was elected an
honorary member of the club and
the active membership was in
creased by the election of Rev.
Saml. Polk and A. Il. Mendenhall. |
On motion the club adjourned to
meet with M. G. Reeder on Novem-
Der 20.