The Mena weekly star., 1913-10-30
Jobn D. 2eage's
 Uaeeklp 1etter
Stock and Soil Fertilization.

StOck ana SOlI FeflIllLdtIoIl.
 To get organic matter in the soil is a matter of prime importance to tire farmers in Arkansas. Except for the bottom country and low lands, the greater part of the soils of Arkansas are deficient in organic matter. Organic matter may be had by adding humus in blowing under pea, vines and stubble, corn stalks, weeds, grass etc. The corn stalks do not add much value, but some, and they should never be cut and burned. The best way to add or ganic matter is by raising and pas turing stock. Stable manure is the best of all, but COW manure, hog and sheep manure are also good.
 There is such an abundance of what is known as range" or wild, untitled land, that few farmers care to use a part of their farms for pasture for stock, preferring to use the land for growing crops. Due to this fact, few of our farmers realize the value of COW or hog manure dropped during the year. A writer of recognized authority says that the average milch COW will drop twenty tons of manure in year How many of our farmers know this? How many ever figured on this from an economic standpoint in their farm operations How many realize how much they have been standing in their own light by not giving pasture room to the humble milch COW? Most of them have overlooked the fact that the COW is a miniature fertilizer fac tory for the farm. and that all the farmer has to do is to capitalize the plant and the industry runs it. self, for the COW on the pasture will gather the elements of Nature through the process of grazing for a period of eight months in the year, and return them to the soil in the form of organic matter, and even do the spreading, without mans aid.
 On the other hand, how many of our farmers have ever figured the manure from the hogs droppings as of any value. at all? Yet, pound for pound, the droppings from the hog are more valuable as organic matter on most of our soils than those of the COW. The hog is a good pasture animal. He likes the pasture, and if given a good pasture will thrive on it and pay his board in manure, besides making meat for the family, or providing pork for Lhe market.
 Cow peas plowed under add or ganic matter to the soil and build up the soil surely and rapidly. Yet how many of our farmers can af- ford to sacrifice the yielding value of their tillage soil by turning un- der a crop of COW peas? However, almost the same end can be att tained by growing and harvesting the COW peas and feeding them to the cattle and hogs, for they will return to the soil almost the full fertilizing value of the pea crop. They will do even better than that, for they will harvest the crop in if you will let them.
 The sheep is another good fer agency. The droppings of the sheep have a high fertilizing value. Few of our farmers are giv- ing any attention to sheep, but it would pay them to raise them. Re- gently I travelled through the state of Illinois, and alongside the rail- road I saw an immense fertilizer plant, devoted exclusively to pre- pairing sheep manure for the mar ket and advertising it as of the highest value as a fertilizer. So if the farmers would restore or main tain the fertility of the soil, they above all else, begin to pre- pare pastures for their cattle, hogs and sheep, and keep them up for their value as soil builders, if for nothing else. If tried out suf- ficiently it will be startling and pleasing revelation to many of our farmers, and save them many dol lars in the cost of fertilizers they buy if they would continue to make good crops.
 Remember this fact-that your soil is most likely deficient in or ganic matter, and that to get the best results in your farm operations this deficiency must be supplied If you know better way, try it. If not, try this plan.
 John H. Page,
 Commissioner.