The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1910-11-24
DEEP FLOWING ESSENTIAL
Potash Necessary to Produce Crops Is
Ia Red Clay Subscil-Dry Wealth
err Changes Plans.
written for The star BY 7. P. Fulton.

brings us back to the soil question,
and as this is the real formation
for all farming operations it deserves
the fullest discussion that we are able
to give it. in the first article in this
series | stated that intended to give
my land, intended for crops next
spring, not only deep blowing but
sub soiling, but ! did not fully explain
my object in doing so. | merely stat
ed that wanted to lay the founda-
ton for good seed bed and a basis
for the storage and conservation of
moisture. The green vegetation that
is turned under early in the fall has
ample time to ferment and decay in
time for spring planting and no valu-
able fertilizers are destroyed. as in
the case of blowing under green cow
peas. But the seed-bed idea and the
moisture question are not the only
advantages to be gained by deep, fall
blowing.
Mention was made in my last ar
ticle regarding the lack of lime stone
in the soil of Western Arkansas, and
| am also firmly convinced that the
top-soil is greatly lacking in potash.
Brother farmers, have you ever OBJ
served what quantities of salt your
horses, stock and hogs will consume
if you give it to them? What does
that indicator Simply lack of pot
ash in the food they consume. Have
you ever observed your hogs in pen
and in field actually boring holes
straight down into the ground? Why
do they do it? Simply because they
are after the salty potash that is in
the sub-soil. What valuable points
we can get regarding the mysteries of
nature by watching the actions of our
domestic animals, even our stupid
hogsl They can give the signal serv-
ice cards and spades on foretelling the
approach of storm or cold wave.
But to the potash matter. Where
ever you find red clay subsoil you
will find potash, and it takes deep
blowing to get it. This deep blowing
should always be done in the fall,
however, as it takes several months
and some freezing and thawine, also
rain and sun to change the chemical
copdition of this subsoil so that its
fertilizing properties can be utilized.
Like the storage of nitrogen by cow
peas and other legumes, the soil prop
osition brings us to the borders of the
great scientific world whose mysteri-
GUS and elusive depths have baffied
the researches of the savants of all
ages. and so the best we humble farm
ers can do is to erope around in the
outskirts of the wilderness and not
only eeep our eyes pealed but our abb
dominal receptacles close to the
ground.
In the first article of this series /
bravely set forth what was going to
do in the way of preparing my corn
and cowpea land for spring planting,
but nature or providence has way
of running terrestrial things without
consulting the farmer, or even the
trusts, and SO the long strung out dry
weather has not only kept me from
blowing furrow, but has caused me
to change my plans completely. Win
ter plowine is next best to fall blowing,
however. and as soon as the ground
gets in proper shape down goes my
pillow.
Yes brother farmers. am satisfied
that the subsoil beneath us contains
all the potash needed to make good
crops, but we must 60 down after it.
The wise Creator did not put all the
good things on the top of the ground
for us to use. Don't see any dia-
monds lying around loose, do you?
| am sorry to say there are many
sorry farmers in Polk county who
not only pillow four or five inches deep,
but some of them actually mark out
their ground without blowing, plant
their corn, and then when it is ready
to cultivate take a bull-tongue pillow
and bust out the middles.' Holy
smoke of Mosesl No wonder they
don't raise anything but "nubbins. -
Cove, Ark, Nov is, 1910.