The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-03-02
OF Interest TO the Farmers

government or about public lands
anywhere which are stiI subject to
homestead entry. Inquiries addressed
to the ONCE Of public lands, Washing
ton. D. c.. stating what Is wanted, will
secure the Information which 10 sought
The fellow who has been dupinc
folks in some of the eastern states
claims will render poultry immune
from the worst ailments that af1ict
them for the rest of their lives is first
cousin to that other chap who operat-
ed in about the same territory a year
or so ago with spray mixture the
application Of which he said would
protect trees from their several insect
and fungous pests for a term Of sew
eral years.
That the sheep business bids fair to
be paying one for some time to come
Is Indicated in figures which have re-
Gently been published showing that
since 1873 there has been a decrease in
the worlds fiocks of sheep Of 93OOO,-
600 head, or more than 5000. 600 head
a year. The decrease seems to be in
quite measure due to movements Of
population which have discouraged the
keeping OF the large flocks of the past,
a tendency which means that the keep
ing of limited number on the small
farm would be attended with increased
profit.
At Rothamsted, England, Is located
famous government experiment sta
ton where exhaustive experiments in
soil fertility and crop production have
been conducted during the past fifty
years. On one field to which no ma
nure and no plant food has been CIV
en- the average yield Of wheat per acre
during this interval has been 1919 BUSH
els. Another field which has been
! heavily fortified with barnyard ma
nure has given an average Of 355
bushels for the same period. A third
field Which has been REINFORCED with
commercial fertilizers has produced
81 bushels Of wheat per acre in the
same period. These English expert
ments should have a suggestion or two
for some American farmers who are
getting perilously near the twelve
bushel yield as a result Of continuous
! cropping to wheat
| The application Of lime to land does
not add to it's store of fertilizing ele-
ments, but merely serves to correct
/ acid condition ~ INV
abling plant life to utilize the ele-
ments already stored there. Some ex-
periments lately conducted by the New
Jersey station showed that on sandy
soils ground unburned limestone gave
better results than burned and slaked
lime. In similar experiments con-
Quoted by the Florida experiment sta.
ton the application Of ground unburn.
ed limestone doubled the yield Of beg.
garweed, legume which is classed
as the clover of the state. An inter
esting fact which was developed in
connection with this test was that the
Inning Of the soil resulted also In a
large increase in the number and size
of nitrogen nodules, upon which the
value Of the legumes as soil enrichers
depends. This service rendered BY
lime is one that those who are desir-
GUS OF getting a start in alfalfa and
some other legumes should keep in
mind.
/ Among the several elements Of the
soil that make the growth Of plant
life possible is humus, or vegetable
matter in various stages of decomposi-
ton, consisting of the roots, stalks
and leaves of the plants which have
grown thereon in a wild state or the
straw, litter and manures which have
been mechanically distributed Not
only does such decaying vegetable mat
ter contain important chemical fertiliz-
ing elements, but it gives the soil that
friability and looseness so essential to
an easy manipulation of it with plow
and cultivator and so favorable to a
ready circulation Of the soil air and
moisture, Indispensable factors in a
rapid growth Of plant life. In view
Of these facts the tiller Of the soil
should keep constantly in mind both
the wisdom and necessity Of maintain
ing this supply Of humus in the soil
and increasing it when occasion re-
quires. A proper understanding Of the
matter should put a stop to the burn
ing Of stubble and straw, should mean
the turning down now and then OF
growths of green manures and the rak-
ing and scattering of the largest pos
sible quantities Of stable manure. 1t
is under system of grain farming
that the supply of humus in the soil is
most rapidly depleted, and on this &C.
connt the -4ystem is = .h:rr4cul one and
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