Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-06-06


Humus is the black or brown veg
etable matter which is seen in all soils
II is produced during the decay of vege
table matter in the presence OF moistur
and air. There is no mystery abou
humus, although its uses and function
are misunderstood. All soils have som'
humus in greater or less amounts, says
writer in Cottonseed.
1t is simply dead vegetable matte
undergoing the process of decay, and
mainly found in dead roots, leaves
stalks, barnyard manure, and such vege
table fertilizers as are applied to tn
land like cottonseed meal. Outside o
the humus formed by cottonseed meal
guanos, cottonseed and kindred material
we find but little plantfood in humus.
All humus contains some plantfood
of course, but so small a portion is pres
ent in barnyard manure, pine straw
leaves, stalks and stubble that, as a pro
wider OF plantfood, ii is almost negli
gible quantity. Ordinary barnyard ma
nure. as found on Massachusetts, farms
and reported in the Massachusetts, Ex
pertinent Station bulletin, contains about
one half of per cent nitrogen, one-third
of per cent phosphoric acid, and one
half OF per cent potash, and 65 to 7C
per cent water, and the balance, 80 per
cent, is shumus-forming material.
Pine straw, leaves of the forest or
cut grass and composted weeds contain
less plantfoOd. IL Is, therefore, not to
the plantfood value that we must look
for the real use of humus in agriculture,
but to its physical and chemical func-
tions In the soil itself. Ii can not take
the place Of fertilizers, but it can be the
greatest help in the use of fertilizers,
and the more humus present, the more
is the use OF commercial fertil-
iZers.
Functions in the Soil.--Humus per-
forms two valuable functions in agricul-
ture in it's effect upon the soil itself.
lst, its physical effect upon the soil. Ii
renders the soil porous, thus admitting
air to the rootlets. II makes the soil
iriable and loamy, and this prevents
excessive capillary attraction, which
tends TO exhaust the moisture from the
soil. This condition of the soil pro-
gides better bed for the small roOtlets
and for better root development, all of
which is necessary for healthy and
vigorous plant growth.
Humus acts like q sponge and retains
he water in the soil within its spongy
pores, which dissolves the plant food
ind feeds it to the plant through the
rootlets. The soil merely furnishes a
home for the plant. II the plants home
De in a soil which furnishes the proper
physical surroundings, then the plant
will grow 40 develop vigorously, pro-
,ided the necessary plantfood is present.
On the other hand, if the soil is COM
pact, non-water- bearing and non-con-
iucive to plant growth, the plants will
lot thrive, even though some plantfood
DO present. The physical condition of
he soil is as important as the supply of
and a soil without humus
ind without the proper tillage and cul-
.ivation cannot properly foster plant
ife. We are learning the lessons of
leep blowing, intensive cultivation and
he use of humus, but do not make the
mistake of believing that this means the
of the use of fertilizer.
The better the soil condition, the more
ioes heavy fertilization pay.
I'd The second great use OF humus
n the soil is its chemical function. In
he first place, it furnishes small por-
ion of plantfood, as mentioned above,
md which becomes available during the
lecay of the vegetable matter. But the
cal valuable chemical function is not in
irving it's own food to the plant, but
ather to it's action in the soil itself.
rhe decay of vegetable matter creates
,ases and acids, which prepare aud fur
fish TO the plant the phosphoric acid,
nitrogen and potassium already existing
n the soil, or which you provide in
Iour commercial fertilizers.
The humus, by its chemical action,
axes up the soluble foods and acts as
holding the food ready for
lse by the plant when needed. Thus IL
prevents the teaching of fertilizers dur
NJ the excessive rains. Humus pre-
ents the plsntfood from changing 10 .
orm inaccessible to the plant. A great
.uthority has said: without humus,
he phosphates and potash salts must
,e changed into insOluble compounds"
IpOn which the plant has no means Of
eeding, and by such chemical func-
ion these foods are provided for the use
q the plant rather than by being chang
d into insoluble compounds.
Humus likewise forms compounds
sith ammonium salts and stores them
lp for later use. Thus it prevents the
eaehing OF this most important source
q plantfOod, that otherwise would wash
way. Humus furnishes q favorable
zone for the soil bacteria which con-
ribute so much in turning insoluble
nd uon-ayailable planttoods into solu-
lie and available forms for the uses of
he plants. This Is especially true Of
litrogenous fertilizers.
Humus is not q stable constituent in
he soil, but is continually being used
lp in performing its function. Like
'0al, IL is consumed in doing its work,
md, like coal, has to be continually re-
,lenished by the use Of barnyard ma
,ures, green manures, and crop rotation.
Iumus can benefit the plant only as It
9 used up itself, and we can thus see
he need Of replenishing the supply. II
AN be supplied by only two methods:
1. A rational crop rotation. 2. The
application of vegetable matter either
BY producing it on the soil and turning
{ under, or by carrying to the soil vege-
able matter produced elsewhere, as in
arm manures, pine straw, composted
weeds and roadside grasses. The con-
iinuous growing of crops which require
cultivation burns up the humus rapidly,
while continual cropping with hay
adds some humus, but less than is con-
sumed.
A rotation of crops combining peri
Ddical rests from tillage with the addi-
ton of sod and stubble to the soil favors
the production of humus and promotes
it's increase. Such rotation should be
1sed to keep up farms. Too many farm
ers use only one or the other, and un-
read the results wrongly.
A heavy application of any fertilizer
gives added yield, and the farmer makes
the grave error in believing that his
land only needs fertilizer and can exist
without humus.
On the other hand, the farmer who
adds large quantities of stable manure,
pine straw or leaves in the furrow, or
practices rotation of crops. disoerns that
he has added to the production OF his
fields and thinks be can get along with
out fertilizer. He merely only gets half
a cake instead of 70 whole one. The