Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1909-11-19

40
struction of those advocating the burn.
ing OF stalks, it might be well to con-
slider the subject from another stand
point, that OF destroying much-needed or
garic matter necessary III the production
of crops. Prof Lloyd, director OF farmers
institutes for Mississippi, sounds this
word of warning in discussing the propo-
sition The following strong article
from the Southern Farm Gazette is we'll
worthy of reproduction, coming as it
does from such reliable source and
bearing upon an important matter:
1--WE have repeatedly pointed out that
the great need of Southern soils is more
humus. We have also given it as our
opinion that the small amount of organic
matter generally found in Southern soils
Is due to the rapid decay of all vegetable
matter in and on the land. This rapid
decay and loss of organic matter results
from the hot and moist weather of sum-
mer, and the washing and teaching
caused by the torrential rains of our
open winters.
Natural conditions while favoring the
dissi patton of our supplies Of humus-
forming materials, also favor their rapid
reproduction. The growth of vegetation
is SO varied and abundant that the rap
idly disappearing supplies of humus and
nitrogen might be replenished did the
farmer but do his full duty. Instead of
carefully conserving and adding to our
all too scant supplies of organic matter,
we rave robbed our soils of millions of
dollars worth by the destructive use OF
fire IL putting the lands in condition
preparatory to the planting of another
crop it has seemed necessary to burn
trash" or large growth of grass and
weeds off the land. With one-horse
plows it Just could not be turned under
and pat out of the way OF tie imple-
ments used in cultivating the succeeding
crops Instead OF procuring larger plows
and more work stock. which would have
turned this much needed organic matter
under we have taken what we deemed
the easier course of burning it off, and
have excused the soil robbery on the
sham pretext of necessity. The burning
of humus forming materials is of itself
deplorable, but the state of mind which
it indicates; the utter lack of a proper
appreciation of the chief need of our
soils which it shows, is even more to be
regretted.
':We are now told to burn the cotton
stalks III oi1l4S 4St,J { sstroyy' the bon weevif
and its favorite place for passing the
winter. This may be and probably is
justified; but not satisfied with this, the
entomologists tell US that we must burn
all trash OF other vegetation on the
land This may also be necessary, but
we have wondered if these entomologists
were agriculturists as well as entomolog-
lists would they be willing to go so far
with this burning process? 1t is true
that the burning of the cotton stalks
alone would not rob the soil of large
quantities of humus-forming materials
or nitrogen, but the principle and the
tendency are wrong. The tendency is to
encourage the application of the torch to
all kinds of organic material, which gives
any sort of trouble on account of its
presence on the land, as already shown
by the injunction to burn all trash"
Until further light is obtained, we ad-
wise our readers to follow the advice of
the entomologists and burn the cotton
stalks by November 1st, or as soon there
after as possible; but let us hold our
fire from the other humus-forming ma
terials. We can easily supply more
nitrogen and humus than the cotton
stalks will give by growing legumes and
winter cover crops; but we cannot afford
to rob our soils of one single pound
more of the Gfe-giving organic matter
than is absolutely necessary.
mo more pernicious habit was ever
formed by the Southern farmer than
that of burning everything off the land,
and if it be necessary to do so in order
to fight the boil weevil, it is indeed
unfortunate. The remedy and the con-
sequences which it begets are almost as
bad as the disease. In fact, if such
practice were continued and no greater
effort made in the future than has been
made in the past to supply our lands
with humus, the time would soon come
when we would not be able to grow
cotton Tor any other crop even if there
were no boil weevils.
I'VE repeat that our advice, for the
present, is to burn the cotton stalks:
but it is the duty of the entomologist
to bend his efforts to the finding of
some way of fighting the boil weevil
other than by the destruction of this
organic matter which our soils need
most.
'Ts there sufficient evidence to show
that cutting the cotton stalks and plow-
ing them under deeply is sufficiently less
effective than burning the stalks to JUS
tify the burning of this life-giving or
ganic matter off the land with all the
bad practices which it encourages and
viii surely lead tor
Your county fair is nothing more nor
less than mirror in which is reflected
the progress of years time. Show the
whole people what has been done and
they will be inspired to do something
themselves.
Winston's first regular fair, held at
Louisville this year, was so good that
plans were Immediately put on foot to
make it BIGGER and better next year.
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