Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-28
Editorial Comment
Campaign Of Education Among Farm
tHouSton Post.)

tHouston Post)
"A campaign of education is going on
| among the farmers of Texas which. if
prosecuted. is bound to result in great :
~ improving the agricultural condition
OF our State. Permanent fertility. con-
| SefVatlon OF soil waters, rotation of
| crop and better cultural methods are
problems that are receiving the atten-
ton of the Texas farmers from one
| end of the state to the other 1t is good
| that this is true. 1t is we'll estab-
iished fact that under intelligent meth
DDS of tillage soil fertility should not
be depleted. When we speak of fer
tility We refer to that property inner
ent in the soil
Agriculture may be accepted both as
a science and an art. 1t requires sci
| ence to develop the facts of the soils
power to produce. and to separate the
elements of plant food in the soil. II
| requires art to apply the scientific
principles to soil management to en-
able the farmer to secure the best re-
| suits from his labor. Science evolves
the truth of the soils fertility and art
Iapplies these truths in practice.
II is claimed by those recognized as
| authority in agricultural science that
| the greatest waste on the farm results
| from the failure of the farmer to con-
Iserve the soils moisture that it may be
utilized when the growing crop most
needs it. Methods of crop culture
have been pointed out that will do this
and many of the most progressive far
ners of our State find it practical and
/ n iuhl 10 A
TEN of rotation has also been recon-
| mended and proven to be practical and
beneficial, both in preserving perman
ency of fertility and soil moisture.
This system of rotation may be recog-
nized as fundamental in successful ag
lriculture.
1t is not our purpose to discuss the
methods employed in maintaining
permanent fertility, to conserve the
soils moisture or the system of rotation
| found to be most practical. We are
assuming that all the propositions set
out by recognized experts are correct.
In fact, they have been thoroughly es-
tablished. There are three facts re-
garding plant life that the farmer
should understand They are these:
L
drink. plants must feed. These facts
Thoroughly established in the mind of
the farmer he will at once recognize
the necessity Of so caring for them that
they may perform these functions.
| Plants can not breathe II deprived of
Oxygen. Cultivation is necessary to
supply oxygen. 1t is not only neces-
sary to introduce oxygen into the soil.
but to allow the escape of noxious gas
les that are given off by the plants
themselves or produced by bacterial
faction on the remains or excreta of
plants. Air must enter the soil not
only for the use of the roots of the
plants. but to oxidize the organic mat
tiers given off by the plants to preserve
1.-THE proper sanitary conditions in the
soil. Oxygen, however, can not exist
lin the soil without moisture. Then we
see the necessity of constant stirring
Iof the soil and the conservation of
moisture.
Plants take water and food by capil-
larry action or absorption. The root of
La plant is absorbent for water and food
only at the tip and a very short dis
ltance back from the tip. The food
that the plant takes up must BE in
form of solution. 1t requires moisture
to make plant food available to the
root. Thus again we can appreciate
the necessity of the presence of mois-
ture in the soil. Supplying the plant
with oxygen and moisture improves the
sanitary environments which is vitality
necessary to the health of the plant.
These are fundamental facts of agri-
culture that the farmer is learning as
the result of the campaign of educa-
ton being conducted by the farmers
Institutes, experiment stations and the
agricultural press of the State.
1t is a good work and shall have our
encouragement.