The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1911-09-22

IN C1o preparation Oh Talks W
Farmers" we do not claim all the
matter used will be original. Where
we find another has expressed what
we want to say we will use good
material in good cause and the
author will accept this as our apology
for doing so.
If the farmers soil is fertile he
should cultivate it in way to keep
it so, This can be done by proper
rotation of crops, deep cultivation
and returning to the soil as much
of the elements of plant food as has
been taken off in crops; and keeping
up the supply of humls in the soil.
We have shown that only about
three pounds out of every one hun
dred pounds of dry matter came from
the soil In clearing virgin soil
nothing should be burned. The waste
matter should be allowed to rot and
return to the soil the plant food and
the humus to keep the soil in proper
mechanical condition. Guard always
against washing; deep plowing and
thorough pulverizing in preparing
ground for seeding is the important
thing to do to prevent washing.
All the manure and waste should
be saved and returned to the soil.
Because you can grow good crops
now is no reason for neglecting to
save the manure. You may have a
good bank account and your checks
will be honored so long as you keep
up your deposits, but whenever you
check more than you deposit you
will hear from your banker If you
take from your soil without returning
anything, the time will come when
it's cultivation ceases to be profitable.
But the subJeCv that interests most
| farmers is to learn how to restore
soil that has been cropped until
the plant food is exhausted, or GER
tain elements of it, until it does not
pay to cultivate; where the ground
has through carelessness and improp-
er cultivation commenced to wash.
In the majority of cases the land
is really not as poor as it looks, but
intelligent handling is necessary to
get results In the majority of cases
the blowing has been shallow, the
little soil is badly washed, there has
/ not been the right kind of rotation
of crops, the humus has been ex-
hausted, the ground has been plowed
! too wet, stock allowed to run on il
when too wet, the plant food has been
locked up and is not available. TIC
make it so, the ground should be
subsoiled deep during the fall and
winter season, as much vegetable
matter turned under as possible
all the available manure possible
spread and worked into the soil
before planting any crop thoroughly
pulverize the soil. After the CROP
has been planted the surface should
be kept pulverized and stirred at least
once a week during the cultivating
season. The stirring of the sol
breaks up the capillary action of the
water and conserves it for the growth
of the plants.
We have learned that water is one
of the principal requirements fol
plant growth; this is shown by the
fact that when we have rain at the
right time we get better crops Oh
land than when we have drought
So we can get better crops every
year if we take the necessary steps
to store up the water in the soil fol
use when required. To do this q
deep soil is necessary; it takes q
soil ten inches deep to absorb one
inch of rainfall in twenty-four hours
and we must remember the greater
amount of humus, or decayed veget
able matter, in soil, the greater its
capacity for holding water So it i;
always necessary to plow under vege
table matter to keep the mechanical
condition of the soil right.
We have shown that only three
| claimants Of n1ant foOd arc liable tC