The Southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1895-1909, 1909-01-09
Why the Uplands of the South A..
Not Fertile.

nj
farming. as SO commonly charged; or is It due 10
natural conditions-ciimatic and geologic,
-
In the sense that virgin soils OF the North ana
West are rich and productive. We have few rio,
and productive virgin soils in tho South and nevsr
did have except those which receive tho soil wash
inga OF other areas and are so located that they
cannot lose this Increment OF soil fertility. IN
other words. there are no rich virgin upland
soils In the South. II this is n fact-aud IL is
then tho question. why are the uplands OF thu
South not fertilizer" becomes OF deep interest.
for mus; know why they are naturally poor IN
order 20 learn tho most direct and certain way To
make them rich. and also what mus, do to
keep them rich when ~e have once made them So
Southern upland virgin soils arc not rich be-
cause CD of our long. hot. moist summers which
cause rapid and complete onida,ion-ro,,ing-
all dead organic substances which fall upon them
notwithstanding tho favorable conditions for the
growth OF vegetation. our virgin upland soils are
comparatively bare because of tho rapidity with
whlch alt vegetation which falls upon them decays
and tsl because OF our heavy rainfall a, nearly
all seasons of tho year. which washes and teaches
away the organic plant food iha, would o,hcrx
accumulate.
In tho arid regions OF tho w.Hi all soils are
Flch-~aser alone In needed TO prodae. large
crops Nothing has been washed or i.ached from
those soils. In tho North a different formation
less heat and rainfall during tho nhor,or summer
and Tho protection OF frost aud during dricr
winters. save tho organic materials and make far
richer ssFEin soils. Moreover. no, only do those
regions OF tho North aud West. where rich virgin
solls abound have lcsa rain. but II alao falls moro
gently: they do no, hare the 'suiley- washers"
of tho South
This accounts for tho lack of organic plant food
-niirogcn-!n our Southern soils. but how about
tho mineral plant foodsr In many instances
geologic causes. tho character of tho rocks whence
ih. soils we're formed. no doubt account for tho
lack of mineral plant foods In our soils. but the
very aamo causes which are responsible for tho
lack OF organic plan, food our soils are also TO
sponsibo for tho lack of available mineral foods
Tho retention on and In our aolis of dccaying
vegetable matter would render available the min
"ral foods hence tho absence of this dccayinE or
Eanic matior-humas--Is largely responsible for
tho apparon, lack of mineral plan, foods In our
virgin soils.
And nov what In tho practical lesson 10 be
drawn from all this! IL Ia imply that Southern
farmers should recognir, tho foregoing facts and
max. greater efforts than farmers elsewhere
not less efforts. IA In tho past-to supply organic
matter TO their soils. Not only should they sup
ply Increased and increasing quantities OF vegeta-
bic matter To- their soils but they must also adopt
measures tn keep tho plant food thus supplied
from washing and teaching away. In other words.
Instead OF growing hoed or clean culture crops.
cotton cora tobacco. otc.. almost exclusively. ana
leaving the lands bare during the winter In tho
condition most favorable for washing and leach
Ing. they must adopt humus-supplying rotation
of crops and employ winter cover crops TO hold
tho plan, food that becomes available during the
winter.