Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1913-05-08

the Tree nitrogen from the air ana
fix 1t In tiny tubercles grown upon
their roots.
Potash can be returned to the soil
by fertilizers which contain it. The
most economic of these is kainit. It
is dug from deep mines In Germany.
1t contains about ~ per cent of potash.
Muriate of potash is obtained from
the same source. About half its
weight, or so per cent, is potash.
! Phosphates are those fertilizers that
contain the element phosphorus in the
form of phoSphoric acid. There are
three kinds Of phosphate, that are Of
different value. The first Is natural or
raw phosphate, sometimes called Ten
nessee phosphate; Florida phosphate,
Carolina phosphate, or floats. 1t is
simply the phosphate rock just as 1t
is dug from its place in phosphate
beds, except that it has been ground
into very fine powder. Since roots
generally can not absorb much of this
form of phosphate, as 1t will not dis
solve in pure water, it is called insol-
liable phosphate. Acid phosphates Is
so called because 1t is made by adding
sulphuric acid to the raw or natural
phosphate. This acid so changes the
phosphate that roots can Immediately
absorb 1t. The phosphate in acid phos-
phate is called soluble. There is a
third or intermediate form that plants
can use. This and the soluble phos-
phate are added together and called
the available phosphoric, that is, the
kind the plants can use promptly. The
use Of lime is a point in the proper
fertility scheme of farm, for IL your
soil is acid or sour, the leguminous
plants will not produce the tubercles
which have the power OF fixing nitro
gen in the soil. Hopkins of Illinois
advocates the use Of agricultural or
crushed lime. II is best TO apply lime
to your soil once in every three or
four years instead Of small amounts
each year.
One of the fundamental causes for
the decrease in crop yields is the ex-
haustion of the humus supply. There
are three ways of supplying humus to
the soil. The first and best is the ad-
dition of stable manure When prop
erly managed it adds large quantities
OF both plant food and humus. The
following will give some idea OF how
much can be returned to the soil
through farm manure:
Fertilizer Material Returned In Farm
Manure.
100 bushels of corn contains: Nitro
gen, 100 pounds; phosphorus, II
pounds; potassium. 10 pounds.
Manure from 100 bushels corn con-
tains: Nitrogen. rs pounds; phos-
phorus, 10 pounds; potassim, 16
pounds.
Total loss to soil when 100 bushels
corn is produced, fed to animals and
manure returned to the soil: Nitro
gen, 25 pounds; phosphorus, pounds;
potassium, 3 pounds.
1000 pounds cottonseed contains:
Nitrogen, S1.5 pounds; phosphorus, SIS
pounds; potassium. 81 pounds.
Manure from 1000 pounds cottonseed
contains: Nitrogen, 1916 pounds; phos-
phorus, A pounds; potassium, 81
pounds.
Total loss to the soil when 1000
pounds cottonseed is produced, fed to
animals and the manure returned to
the soil: Nitrogen, 10 pounds; phos-
phorus, IL pounds; potassium, IA
pounds.
1t is very evident by referring to the
above that the cheapest and surest
way for the farmer to enrich his land
and to make larger profits is by con-
stantly adding vegetable matter To
do this one OF the best ways is by
feeding your forage crops to livestock
on your farm and saving the manure
from them. Manure has been found to
benefit the soil in the following ways:
/. 1t makes the soil loose and mel
low, allowing the roots and air to
come into direct contact with all parts
of the soil.
2. After it is rotted it enables the
soil to hold moisture in dry weather.
3. 1t furnishes plant food to the
roots of growing crops.
4. 1t adds bacteria and causes the
beneficial ones already in the soil to
thrive and multiply, thus helping the
crops.
The soils of Texas form the most
important source of the States wealth.
Upon their continued productiveness;
will depend, in a large measure, the
future welfare of the people. If they I
are maintained in fertility, the coming
generations will be prosperous; IL they
are depleted by unwise systems of
soil management II will hiring disaster