The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-08-14

hulnuS of fair quality. Crops thus
used are called green manures
4 proper circu!at ton Of air in the soil
Is just lis important as any other fac
tor Of plant growth. Nearly half of the
volume Of ordinary soils Is occupied
by air spaces Plant roots must he
supplied with air. and the soil must he
porous enough to permit of free circu-
lation 4 good supply of humus and
proper tillage will accomplish this re-
suit in clay soils. Sandy soils are usu-
ally too porous, needing humus to help
them retain water.
Another reason why air must cfrcu-
late freely In the soil Is that large
quantities Of oxygen are required to in,
sure proper decay Of organic matter to
supply plant food Also carbonic acid
gas is produced by the decay of Or
lily to make room for the atmospheric
oxygen needed In the soil. One OF the
most important objects OF plowing is
to loosen up the soil for aeratlon.
Considerable evidence has been az
cumulated during recent years to show
that during the growth Of the plant
certain unknown organic substances
are given off which, when they acrn-
mulate in the soil to any extent. are
harmful to the further growth Of plants
Of the kind that produced them. 1t Is
possible that some Of the benefits
known to arise from systematic crop
rotation may be explained Oh this BIZ
sis. These harmful substances seem
to he disposed of rapidly by certain
soils, usually those in which organic
matter is readily converted into hnmus
In connection with the study of these
poisonous organic products 1t has been
found that they may be destroyed or
ut least rendered harmless in Il variety
Of ways. Barnyard manure or decay
ing organic matter. such as Il green
crop Of rye or cowpeas. turned under
has very marked effect in freeing the
soil from them. Almost all of the com
mon commercial fertilizing materials
act more or less In the same way.
Thorough and complete airing Of the
soil by blowing and thorough surface
tiIIage will often destroy or overcome
these poisonous substances. When the
same crop Is not grown oftcner than
every three or four years on the same
land the injurious substances crop
throws off seem to have time to diSap
pear before the same crop is grown
again: hence the benefit from crop ro
tation. When the soil is well supplied
with humus there Is seldom any trou
bic from this source. and the same crop
may be grown year after year with
good yields. though continuous cult
walton of the same crop may invite IN
jury from certain insects and funso,iS
diseases which live over in til" soil "r
in the remains Of the crop
Improper methods Of tillage add very
greatly to the evil effects that result
from lack of humus. In many parts
of the country the land is pIowed onl,
three or four inches deep In most
cases work done in subsoiling is prar
tically wasted, and 1t is doubtful if i;
ever pays. A much better method is
to pIow a little deeper each year until
depth Of eight or ten inches is reach
cd This gives a deep layer of good
soil. particularly If the supply of humnS
is kept up.
When new soil or that which has
lain undisturbed ~" several years is
broken up it is always best to pillow
deep from the beginning. for the deep
er layers will be about as fertile as
any. except the top inch or two 1t is
wise, too. never to plow the same
depth twice in succession. In general
fall blowing should he from seven t.
nine or ten inches and spring blowing
from five to seven inches deep. There
are special cases In which these rules
do not apply
We pillow the soil In order to loosen
up its texture and get air into it: ais,
to turn under stubble, manure. etc. t,
make humus. KILLING weeds is another
object accomplished by blowing Afte,
a soil has been thoroughly pulverizcd
to great depths. so that there is no dan
ger Of turning up packed clay. the
deeper the blowing the better the crops
But the cost also increases with depth
| so that ordinarily it does not pay t.
plow more than about ten inches deep
Some crops prefer rather loose SEED
bed. Other crops, such as wheat ant
alfalfa, prefer fairly compact SEED
bed: hence frequent narrowing ant
rolling after blowing is good practic,
before seeding to these crops. Never
theless it pays to pillow the land fol
them. even If we have to compact /,
again before seeding
| Sandy soils are usually not injured
by handling when wet, but the case /.
different with clay soils. The effec
produced by working clay soils wet Il
known rs pudding. The proper time
to plow land Is when 1t Is Just mois
enough to break up mellow. neither
wet enough to leave a slick surface
where rubbed by the moldboard mol
dry enough to break up in large clods
If continued rain follows wet plowin:
little harm follows. but hot. dry wind!
would soon leave only mass Of un
manageable clods. In spring and mid
| summer blowing particularly II is O.