The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1911-09-22
To the Farmers OF Tennessee.
By CAPT TT PECK Commissioner of Agriculture

become deficient in the soil; lime,
potash, and phosphoric acid. An APP
plication of two tons of pulverized
limestone rock or one ton of burnt
lime will sweeten the soil. The phos-
phoric acid and potash should be
supplied in proportion to the require
ments of the soil.
The nitrogen can be built up by
the application of barnyard manure,
by growing leguminous crops, or by
high grade commercial fertilizers.
Let JUS emphasize the Importance of
deep blowing, turning under vege-
table matter, growing leguminous
crops, saving and spreading barn
yard manures, liberal application of
lime, and in the growing season
thorough pulverizing of the surface
of the soil.
Next week we will have an article
on Glover" by Prof. Morgan, Direc-
tor of the Tennessee Experiment Sta
ton, who will give the farmers some
timely advice on this very important
crop.
The first thing in Importance is
the soil, for it is the farmers cap
ital He can do no business with
out it, If he has fairly good soil
he can do fairly good farming; if
he has rich soil he can farm with
pleasure and profit. The soil is the
mathematician it he cannot
build at all, with it he may build all
kinds of failures or successes, as he
works with intelligence or ignorance
1t is necessary for us to know all
we may about the soil to get the
best results in cultivating it,
The soil is the top of the earth
it has no fixed color, depth or fer
tility. All of these vary in different
places, and may be made to vary at
any place We speak of the soil and
subsoil as though they were very diff
ferent. This is not always the case;
we generally call that part of the
earth soil which is more or less
loose and colored. Generally this
| color is little darker than the earth
below The coloring has been given
/ to the soil by the rotting of vegetable
matter. 1t is not a necessary quality
of soil, but a deep, dark color shows
that the soil is ready to make large
/ crops. We say it is rich, The loose
/ ness is caused by the living roots Of
plants forcing the particles of sol
apart, the dead roots in rotting leav
ing holes Worms and insects have
aided in breaking up and disintegra
ting the surface soil In cultivated
soils this is carried further by the
pillow and harrow.
There is no fixed line between sol
and subsoil; the subsoil begins at the
bottom of the soil, whether deep o.
shallow; when any part of the earth''
crust or surface becomes loose anC
ready to give up it's plant food, tina
part is soil; any part below which
is hard and holds its plant food in ;
condition in which plants cannot read
lily use it, is called subsoil.
Sometimes we find the subsoil OF
the surface, this is seen on the hill
sides where the rains have washed
the soil away The action of air
sunshine, heat, cold and moisture
will soon turn the exposed subsoi
into serviceable soil if kept from
washing.
The soil on hillsides is generally
shallow because the loosen parts are
readily carried away by winds anC
rain. Such soil is apt to be poor also
because the finer parts are the richer
parts, and as they are taken away
the soil is left poorer
In low places, in the upland fields
and in the bottom lands, along
streams, water and winds have beer
depositing the finer particles take1
from the hills, until they are very
rich.
! The soil was made from the sub