The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1912-04-26
Making the Soil Fertile.

One of the primary things to be consid
cred in relation to soil fertility is the
texture of the soil, or its physical con-
dition Almost all soils contain an
abundance of plant food for large crop
yields for many years in succession, yet
the physical state of the soil is such
that very little of the plant food is avail
able, or in a condition such that 1t
can be dissolved by soil water and alb
sorbed by the roots of growing plants.
A rock may be rich in mineral COM
pound that might be of use as paint
foods. yet they are sealed and cemented
in one large hard mass, with only
small fraction of the mass exposed for
disintegration and root action. Only
few Of the lowest and hardest of plants
can absorb living from bare rocks.
Rocky, gravelly and sandy soils are in
fertile simply because by far the greater
amount of plant food Is bound up and
held away from the absorbing action Of
the roots of plants grown upon them.
Dynamiting rocky and hard soils, of late
years, has been found beneficial, since
the powerful action Of the explosives
down in the ground loosens up, breaks
TO pieces, makes finer and creates cavi-
ties in the soil below for greater mos
ture holding capacity, greater atmosphef
&c action, greater and deeper bacterial
action and hence a much more liberal
supply of soluble plant foods for crops
growth of various kinds.
The first thing, then, in treating soil
for increasing its fertility is to improve
its physical state of texture. Flowing
or deep discng is one of the common
means of improving the texture of soil
that has laid for several months or a
year or more. Unbroken soil by nature
gradually settles, becomes compact, and
in general is not favorable for wide and
deep root action of our ordinary field
and garden crops. With the settling
pact that the surface is one solid, i'm
pervious crust, hard and resisting, with
bacterial action and decomposition re-
duced to a minimum The soil becomes
lifeless, as it Were, and the plow stirs
it up to renew it's life forces. The deep
er it is plowed in a reasonably dry state,
the more life and fertility will be CIV
en- to it.
The next step in treating the soil for
increased fertility is through shallow
and deep-surface cultivation. This breaks
up the large, solid soil masses left in
the furrow by the plow, making them
fine and allowing them to come in con-
tact with air and other natural agencies
for further reduction, setting free impris-
oned plant foods. Unless plowed soil
be wet, it is impossible to stir it too
much or to make it too fine with mod
ern implements for surface working.
Even by narrowing or discing, one can
often add to the good physical nature
Of the soil of the field as much or more
than by spending the same time haul
ing and spreading fertilizers upon 1t,
not counting the cost of the later. This
is the reason why it is so essential to
cultivate and recultivate a young. grow
ing crop, such as corn or potatoes. The
frequent stirring of the soil before the
roots of the growing plants have spread
far breaks up the unyielding soil masses
into a powdery state, into which the
feeding roots can easily penetrate and
find abundance Of nourishment Gull
tivaiion is not essentially for killing
weeds, but to make the texture of the
soil so good that the cultivated plants
will push ahead and crowd out weeds.
Mixing the soil is very similar to mix
ing the ingredients of bread or concrete
The good baker and the good concrete
man mix their materials thoroughly |
when dry. They stir the mixtures so
well that all the particles of the differ
this is done, light bread and hard con-
crete will not result. And the farmer
who eternally mikes his soil when it is
dry, is the one who will grow the largest |
and most profitable crops, other things
considered.
Another way 10 improve the physical
condition of the soil is to add 10 1t and
incorporate with it plant substances.
These may be in the form of weeds or
other growth from the field, or manure |
from the stables or lots; they result in
the same thing in the end, althoush,of
course, stable manure is in a more con-
centrated form. These organic material
form humus. and when humus is added
10 the soil 1t not only improves its ply
steal nature, but adds actual plant
foods as well. The average farmer nei- |
Their has, nor can secure from other