Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18

stratum OF soil above IL the stratum
OF air-four- fifths nitrogen-below it
the solid rock. The soil particles are
not spongelike grains saturated with
plant food. which can be sucked out
by the roots OF the plants They are
solid and almost insoiuble. But the
rains and the gases in the soil are con-
tinually eating away the outside sur
faces OF the particles.
Each year a thin film IL dissolved
from the surface OF each soil grain,
and as much OF this solution as h not
consumed by plants is eventually
carried into the ocean. This fact ac-
counts for the salts In the ocean. The
phosphorus in sea water came orig
inally from soil For In each nlm that
10 dissolved away each year there IL
a certain amount OF phosphorus AND
certain amount OF potash, two OF the
elements of plant food.
Thus the soil seems to be gradually
dissolving away and carried into tbs
ocean. But. fortunately for mankind. as
the surface soil disappears new soil
is being continually made at the bot
tom of the soil stratum. the upper
surface OF the rock gradually rots ano
crumbles The whole earth is n vast
deposit OF potash and phosphorus. NOT
all now available FOR the plants. but
the chemical processes making IL avail
able are in continual operation.
THE one other element necessary TO
the plants life is nitrogen. Are We
to be dependent upon the deposits OF
nitrogen I'm Chile for that supply. starv-
ing to death when the supply Is ex-
hausted? II was at the great Rothau-
stead agricultural experiment station
I'm England that the discovery was first
made that il soil be abundantly stock
ed with Misunderstanding vegetable
matter-bacteria which live in the
humus will take nitrogen from the air
which ventilates down through soil
and within their microscopic bodies
will fix nitrogen in combination with
other elements in such a way as to
make IL available for plants TO feed
upon. In other words. put humus into
the soil and II Will furnish the nitro
gen.
most recent OF discoveries in agricultural
science. Since 1883 II has been known
that on the roots OF certain leguminous
plants bacteria will gather and nix nitro
gen, and modern agriculture has taken
advantage of this fact. On most well inn
proved farms today you see yetch. GRIM
son clover, cow peas and other legumes
growing. enriching the soil with thou
sands Of pounds of the Indispensable
nitrogen taken from the air by the bac-
terra on the roots.
But the discovery of the nitrogen-ix-
ing properties Of the common bacteria
living in humus Is tremendous in Inn
portance to the farmer In certain soils
IL Is difficult to grow the legumes. which
must find certain varieties OF bacteria In
soil IL they are to live. II is usually nee
essary to inoculate the soil with these
This is expensive. Moreover. IL often
takes a considerable time before the
bacteria spread and the legume crops be-
come heavy.
soil with the bacteria found in humus.
Those bacteria are everywhere Their
presence continually in the air is what
causes milk to sour. In ordinary soil the
microscope finds from twenty to forty
varieties OF bacteria Twenty of these
varieties are found in milk. Some OF
these bacteria are the germs which cause
disease in man. but while they prne
death within the human system. In the
soil they bring life to man by turning the
nitrogen In the air into form upon
which plants can feed.
-
$50 that was Sam McCalls miracle!
His soil, apparently worthless as 1t was,
was a store of potash and phosphorus, or
which the particles are composed. His
method was to put plenty OF humus into
the soil. and that action supplied the
nitrogen, for Sam Mccall fed his bacteria
nlentifully and they multiplied and
brought to his cotton and corn great
quantities of nitrogen.
ain my opinion. the experience of Sam
Mccall is complete proof OF the Whitney
Cameron theory Of soil fertility. II Is
not necessary to keep soil fertile by iced
ing 1t phosphorus and potash, though In
some soils one Of these elements may be
smaller in proportion than the other. 1t
explains perfectly why a clay loan soil
rs naturally more fertile than sand-the
soil particles in loan are smaller, and 90
the dissolving area is greater. A German
scientist has figured it out that tx you
took the surface area OF each particle OF
a cubic foot of loan soil, the combined
area is forty acres. whereas the surface
area Of the particles of a cubic foot OF
sand Is but two acres: thus twenty times
os much potash and phosphorus Is dis
solved from loan in a season as from
sand.
eff also explains why virgin soil il
rich in fertility. During the past ages
the vegetation has been dying and rot
ting and becoming part Of the soil. In
this decaying vegetable matter the count
less bacteria have lived, each fixing
its tiny supply Of nitrogen. dying. and
placing it in the soil, so that when the
sod is first broken there is a rich store
Of nitrogen awaiting the cultivated crops.
But continual cropping, without regard
to restoring the nitrogen taken out with
out putting in new humus and encourage
ing the growth Of new myriads of bac-
terra, wears out the soil.
las matter OF fact. we know now
that no soil wears out The phosphorus
and potash are always there. The humus
wears out-the bacteria eat it rapidly
away. But with the knowledge of mod
ern discovery. the farmer OF the future
can take the lost exhausted land, and
by the use of humus bring ii. as Sam
Mccall has done, to a point exceeding the
fertility of virgin soil"