The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1911-08-11
TALK TO TENNESSEE FARMERS
BY T. r. PECK
commissioner of Agriculture. ;.

they are called sandy soils; where
moro clay than sand, clay soils.
They differ in color; we have dark,
light, red and black soils; then we
classify them as poor or rich as
they produce crops.
All soils are composed of differ
ent substances; some of these are
aluminium, quartz, feldspar, iron
potash, lime, phosphoric acid, soda,
magnesia and humus. There are
also present in all soils water and
gases, such as oxygen, hydrogen,
hydrogen and carbon, and these ex-
ert a powerful influence in chang
ang the character of substances
and making available plant food.
Humus is not an original ele-
ment; it is the result of decompo-
sition. A soil without humus will
mot produce vegetable growth even
with other elements of plant food.
A clay subsoil is capable of great
improvement, and no matter how
much abused can be reclaimed.
The soil is not only aroot bed,
but also a food bed and a work
shop for plant growth. Neither of
these latter purposes can be Sc
cured IL the soil be too compact.
Circulation is the law of plant life,
and for circulation there must be
room. The mechanical texture of
the soil is a matter of greetimport-
ance. Through the soil comes the
sap; for that reason there must be
moisture; this can be provided by
deep pulverization of the soil.
The moisture not only furnishes
Che sap, but it dissolves and holds
an solution plant food ready for the
sender rootlets to absorb. Nearly
three fourths of living vegetation
lis water; about ninety-seven per
cent of the solid part is from the
air and only three per cent from
she soil. To determine the above
sacts, take a quantity of vegetable
matter and weigh it green, then dry
5t and we find the water it contain
ed, then burn the dried matter and
the difference in weight of the dried
xnatter and ash after burning rep
xesents the portion taken from the
air. The ash left will amount to
about three pounds for every hun
edrea pounds of dry matter, and all
shat was taken from the soil. This
Ssh is composed of fourteen sub
stances; iron, soda, sulphur, lime
potash, phosphoric acid, mangesia
und others we need not mention.
These fourteen substances are ev-
erywhere present in all soils
Eleyen of them are in such small
quantities in the ashes and are in
such universal distribution in suf-
fcient,quantities in all soils, that
we need not worry about them be-
coming exhausted. Three of them
are found in larger quantities in the
ashes. and as result from contin-
med cropping would ultimately be
deficient and have to be supplied
I'm some form. These are absolute
Az necessary for the healthy growth
of all our crops; SO it is matter OF
great Importance to the farmer to
know about potash, phosphorlc
acid and lime. Without these he
s,annotfarm proftably. What iron
does for man potash, phosphoric
acid and lime does for plants; give
- plant everything but either OF
these and it will die.
1t is not because Tennessee SOIL
fs 40 deficient in plant food or be-
x.ause there is not the right kind OF
of soils for the various crops, or
lsecause there is not enough rain
Gall, or because the climatic condl-
a;nos are not right for crop pro-