The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1910-01-13
feRrilIzsRs AND LEoumINous
PLANTS.
-Ry John A. Mcclure
Director ard Insiltute Dlstrlct

| Director Hfd lnsttute ihr1ic'
This article Is not written SO much
to put the farmer wise as to the use
OF chemical fertilizer. as TO guard
him against the agent who would
urge upon him the use Of what Is
commonly called Complete Fertiliz-
ers." A complete fertilizer contains
a certain percentage OF three Of the
principal constituents OF plant food.
viz: Nitrogen, Phosphoric Acid and
Potash: this you purchase with a.
filler that Is worthless TO you and
for which you pay as much as you do
fof the fertilizer. Thousands OF dol
lars have been more than wasted on
these commercial fertilizers In Ken
lucky alone. but since 1906 this waste
has been gradually falling off owing
! to the institute work that was intro.
l duced about tina time; and experts
from the Agricultural Collegs and Ex-
pertinent station nj Lexington. Ky,
have been drilling the farmers OF
the State how TO procure these val
liable auxilliaries in their farm opera
tions at cost so that they can get
maximum Yields at minimum cost
Commercial fertilizers are valueless
i'm a dead soil. or In other words. a
soil that Is devoid of humus. HUI
mus is that constituent In the soil
that gives ID that dark, lively. rich
appearance when Il Is in a proper
condition to break. Leaf mould, sta
BILE manure, decayed vegetation. &c.
give the soil this mechanical condi-
ton. which Is brought about by what
is known as nitrification induced by
living organisms called nitrifying bac-
terra; these minute organisms cannot
live in a dead OF run-together soil
and hence no nitrification.
Without notification the phosphor-
us and potash In the sub-soil cannot
be released. nature wisely locks II up
against the soil Robber" and his
farm becomes a barren waste. But
how are we to avoid this alarming
condition, and how are we TO sub
serve fertility? Nitrogen. when pro-
cured In commercial form Is the
most expensive fertilizer, and yet
nature supplies IL free OF cost II we
|, are not too arbitrary TO allow her to
assist us Her friendly offices can
be brought into requisition by the
growing OF legumes: legumes are
plants that bear their seeds In pods,
such as peas, beans. clover. alfalfa,
&C: every observing farmer has not
! iced on the roots of clover and COW
} peas. small nodules. or bumps. these
are the habitation OF the bacteria
we have mentioned. which take up
{ the nitrogen that has passed into
the soil and convert II into a per-
centage OF food for the plant upon
whose roots they are found. II will
be observed that large percentage
OF the nitrogen gathered by bacteria
passes into the plant. but the plant
cannot utilize all of IL. hence the
, balance remains In the soil and this
) Is what causes the fine mechanical
condition OF land upon which the lie.
gume has been grown. Now you
have an abundance OF nitrogen, SUI
ficient for two succeeding crops In q
rotation. II the soil is thin-devoid
OF humus-plow this crop-f COW
peas-under, this will return all OF
the nitrogen In the crop back again
) to the soil, beside adding the much
| needed humus to release phosphorus
: and potash In ratio to the energy
of notification that takes place. No'
as TO the rotation. make a perfect
u seed bed--which we shall take up II
another article-sow to wheat ans
; clover, the clover TO be sown viii
the wheat, and adding one hundred
pounds OF bone meal to the acre
. this we know is a new departure
: but il is coming into practice rapid,
! in the middle western part Of tn
state, and Is emiIently successful
m The bone meal is giving you phos
: phorus, which Is the one constituen
: OF plant food. more than any other
4 that is lacking In Kentucky.
Take off the first crop OF Glove
at the proper time. pasture the sec
r ond, but not too heavy, and ploy
q the balance under the next sprinl
s for corn. This is only a method. bu
y IL must be apparent to any man o
good Judgment that IL Is practice
and based on good logic; II is not
n theory, as we shall not indulge Il
y anything that is not practical. an
y which has not proven successful. II
l. after you have followed this practice
and get your soil into good stat
of fertility. you desire to use fertili7
n er to increase your yield, II your Ian
T. will bear forcing, It will pay TO do II
st Nitrogen makes the foliage, the graz
y, Is largely produced from phosphoru
A. with the addition OF potash. and IN
potash makes fibre; when your stray
is weak your land nee DIS potash
sr when the grain is small and shriye
Is ed, you need phosphorus; when tn
ID foliage Is scant and the stalk mar
" and woody, you need nitrogen. Gu
D. next talk will be on Acid Soils,
plant food and fertilizers however
will be touched ON In all OF our art
le cles, as we can only become iamiiia
a with these sore needs OF the soil b
Ie injecting these themes in such a maj
IN ner as TO make them understood b
e bringing them into the lime light a
ne various angles. and with varying d
grees OF light.
n, Into the subsoil.
Making crops before a good war;
"a fire these days is conducive TO goo
d. sleep but getting out In the mornln
a. L. -