The Mena weekly star., 1913-10-02
VALUABLE CIRCULARS
|. of \. College of Agriculture Gives Information on Organic Matter
 and Humus" and Peach Culture

This paper is in receipt of two leaflets from the University ot Ar kansas College of Agriculture and Experiment Station. They are EN- tension Circular No. 1 and Extension Circular No. fl. The first treats on the prominent phases of peach culture from the location of orch ard to the marketing of crops, and is valuable 10 anyone anticipating planting an orchard. Copies may be had by writing to the EXperl- ment Station, Fayetteville, Ark.
 The subject "Organic Matter and Humus" is of such general inter est to all interested in agriculture that Extension Circular No. II Is Ireprinted herewith:
 "Humus is animal or vegetable matter in a nearly complete stage of decay. Well routed compost closely resembles humus. It Is a black, waXy plastic substance around soil particles.
 The benefits of humus are both physical and chemical. In sandy soils it's plastic nature enables It to bind the grains together and make | the soil more compact and at the same time increase the Water-hOld- 1 ing capacity of the soil. But hu- mus is less plastic than clay and has a tendency to separate its fine particles, producing a crumb-like structure. Here also the water holding capacity is increased, this time by separating the too closely IcrOwded particles so as to offer greater space between them. Again, unless the soil be saturated with water the acraton of clay is much improved,
 Both sandy and clay soils work much easier when well supplied with humus. for they keep more moist and do not become too light, nor too stiff and Iumpy. The better aeration and darker in color make the clay soils warmer and much earlier.
 "Chemically humus is beneficial 10 the soil. first because in its grad ual decay it furnishes nitrogen, phosphorous and potash in those forms most readily used by plants In addition it is beneficial because in it's decay acids are formed which make soluble the mineral food bound up in the insoluble rock par ticles.
 The presence of humus in the soil supports the growth of many kinds of bacteria. These gradually complete it's destruction. These bacteria require air so that continu- ous cultivation, by getting more ail into the soil, greatly hastens the humus loss. Hot weather and bare soils also favor this.
 No opportunity to increase the humus supply or to save the pro- ducts of it's decay should be lost IAll manure from farm stock should he hauled and spread upon the fields. This is one important source of profit from live stock
 "All corn and cotton stalks, straw or any other refuse from crop; should be turned under at breakin! time Such crops as crimson clover COW peas. rye, buckwheat, etc. should be used as cover crops il the fall and turned under in the spring to furnish green manure | These cover crops also proven teaching of nitrogen freed during the warm days, and store it for tho next seasons crop.
 Every farmer should adopt anC follow a definite crop rotation bes suited to his surroundings. Thi! rotation should provide for two or more cover crops to be pas tured and later turned under a! green manure. For example, or some farms a three-year system O cotton with rye at last cultivation corn with COW peas at last culti-