The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1911-10-28
FERTILITY OF THE SOIL
Must be Increased 10 Get More
Farm Products.
Lsno Should BE Deep, well Drained.
Full Of Humus and Contain Plenty
Of Plant Food In Available
Form.

n we want to grow plenty Of all
farm products for home use md TO
sell AZ n price the people In our towns
and cities can AFFORD to pay. we must
increase the fertility of our soils our
greatest asset Is tie fertility Of our
soil Just In proportion In which our
rolls are worn out. IN that proportion
n our prosperity diminished No Nv
lnR man has ever acquired the nrt of
growing good crop, Of grains. grasses
cotton or vegetables on poor land Il
takes good land as well as good prepa
ration. good seed and intensive cult.
walton TO make good crops.
A fertile soil is deep. we'll drained,
full Of humus. and contains plenty OF
plant food In an available form
We dccrcn sells for tho following
reneors First 90 increase tho water
holding capacity; second. 10 let the
water escape from the surface with
out running over the ground and wash
Ing II OF; third 10 permit the air 20
circulate freely for q considerable
depth IN ~ goil. fourth 20 secure
crops against drouth by enabling TIC
roots q go down 20 perpetual mois
turC: hfth. 20 Increase the area from
which plant may obtain food
There Is only one way 90 deepen n
thin soil and that Is by plowing a NJ
tie deeper every time II is broken and
BY turning under vegetable matter
such as corn and cotton stalks, oat
and rea stubble. grass and trash.
Poorly drained soil cannot be prop.
erly prepared In tho spring; the rapid
evaporation will keep the soil cold 70.
Eardless Of the temperature Of the air
thereby retardiug the growth Of tho
crop; the roots u the growing plants
will spreld out near the surface aud
when the soil dries out during the hot
summer. the crop fires" or burns up
before maturity; large quantities Of
water ovaUorating from the soil makes
II compact and solid aud heavy to
work
Broad shallow d'tcncs made with n
Ilow and guwp scrlrcr are ly FAR pref
Crgblc to bitches made with q spade
Tho broad shallow ditch Is much bet
ter tor drainage ana can be oas.l,
crossed with ploNs and Cultiyaturs
and thereby kept clean
The soil must be kept tull of lie.
giving vegetable matter or humus II
must be- in a loose. porous. and open
condition so that air. water. and plant
roots can easily come into contact
with every grain OF II The soil must
be- fUli % vegetable matter 10 prevent
II from packing after every ncayy
rain ana TO iucroa q the storage ca
IacIiy for water and thereby enable
II 20 hold enough water TO carry the
crop through the longest drouta in the
GUNNER though heavily fert.lilod The
roll must b. fun oE humus 90 furnish
food Tor the microscopic life TINT
makes the plant food In tho soil avail
;u.o Tor giants II matters not how
much plant food the soil may contain.
It win not yic'd maximum crops nm
less bacteria are present 90 make tho
plant food available Tor crops Tho
number OF baC cria iu the coil closely
follows the amount Of humus lu Il
IA % NNA't"l' iNINh.bN bl itN.NU. corn
and peas. cats followed b. peas. roa.
u.ts. 10Y beans or lDsp.dall every
nero ~ our soil that ls devoid OF y,gs.
table mattcr may be- He'd lull In three
years The diyorsincutlou or crous.
Oh" turning under az cora aud cotton
stalks, uat, r,a, soy bean. velvet bean
o other stubb q, grass and trash.
and tie application OF barr yard
manure Will soon nll our worn out
cotton .aUds Ton OF lite giving Vcge.
table matter or huWua.
Tie vol must contain an abundance
OF plant food m at available form ~
order 10 yield maximum crops -Four
teen or fifteen OF the elementary sub
stances enter into the composition OF
plants Cultivated soils generally con
ttin a sufficient supply O; all The o,e
mcuts necessary to plant growth. *
colt potas SUM. phosphorus ana mono
gen Missi.siIpt soils contain az
abundance ui potassium ~ an av.tl
alb G torn our soils are deficient ~
only Two elements. nilrug Il and phos
phurus
A rotation Of crops including lcgum
inous crops, the eating OF such lcsum