The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-08-29
FEarILlzlno DRY LAND.
The Moisture Content Of Soil Must De
Considered.


The problem of fertilizing dry land
is not the same as fertilizing moist
land or land in the humid regions
where the soil contains fair supply
of moisture at all seasons Of the year.
The writer is informed by Mr.. T. c.
Wallace of California that in the dry
soils of California the roots Of the
grape vines are very deep in the soil,
and that, where irrigation is or Ii not
practiced, it is found to be very diff
ficult to properly fertilize the vine
yards and orchards. 1t is problem
on which many are working, but 1t is
doubtful If any have fully solved it
how to get the fertilizer that is put
into the surface soil to decompose and
yield up its plant food for the roots in
the moist layer of soil far below.
1t might be suggested that the irri-
cation water would do the work. but
the irrigation water is not at the top
of the soil for long enough period
to accomplish very much in this re-
gard. 1t is not a question of dissolv-
ing what is soluble but seems to be
question of establishing a moist me-
dunn in the vicinity of the fertilizer
in which moist medium the soil or
ganisms can work The problem Of
fertilizing grape vines and fruit or
cnards is the greatest because these
do not permit of the turning over of
the soil for the purpose of working
! fertility into it.
The problem that exists in Califor-
mia all the time exists here in the
Mississippi valley part of the time. We
have dry seasons in which the eff
fects of the fertilizers applied to our
vineyards and orchards is not greatly
felt. The moisture conditions of the
soil have very large influence on the
decay of manure. For this reason
many of the purchasers of fertilizers
complain of not getting results from
the fertilizers, without ever taking in
to account the fact that the available
ity of the plant food in the fertilizers
depends on the perfection of the wa
ter supply.
Land habitually dry is exceedingly
difficult to fertilize, for the reason that
the fertility remains in the soil with
out being submitted to the agencies
that would change 1t into materials
that the roots of trees and vines can
use.
In the fertilizing of orchards and
vineyards, the fertilizer should be got.
ten into the soil and should be applied
at times of the year when the moisture
supply is likely to be good but is not
over-abundant.
If barnyard manure is to be placed
in the surface soil of an orchard, II
should be gotten in in the fall, be
fore the coming of the fall rains II
possible. If it is to be applied to the
surface, it should be put on in the
winter, that the rains and SHOWS may
wash the soluble portions into the
SOIL
If the fertilizer il a highly nitro
genous one, like dried blood, it SHOULD
be worked into the soil In the sprins
as early as possible. If it is applied
in the fall, large part of the soluble
plant food will disappear before spring
The part of this that will be most los
will be the nitrogen, the very ingre
dent for which the blood is applied
Yet If it is applied too late in the
spring to get the benefit of the sprini
moisture, the nitrogen is likely to b
} largely dissipated into the air.
Thus, in dry land fertilizing, thu
moisture supply must be closely con
sidered, and because it is not closet,
considered is the reason that som,
of our fruit growers do not get thu
! results from their orchards they hav'
expected.