Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1914-08-24
IMPORTANCE Of
SOIL IMPROVEMENT
Farm Demonstration Agent Believes
II Most Important Farm
Problem Today.

The more study farm conditions
in Brazos County the more thoroughly
I become convinced that soil improve
ment is the most important question
before the people today. When | see
a piece OF land that water sobs In the
spring on account OF lack OF humus
and burns up first when the dry
weather sets in from the lack OF
humus, am thoroughly convinced
that the people who own such lands.
and there are thousands OF acres OF
It in Brazos County, must do some.
thing to change the condition Of such
lands or they must quit farming or
cultivating It. With all the experience
OF the world and especially the scien-
tifc experimenter. there has never
been but one method discovered by
which this land can be restored or
made better, and that is to put this
element we call humus into 1t. Now
there are various ways by which this
can be done, all OF which are ex-
pensive. But the most economical
way, II not the most eifectual, is by
blowing under vegetable matter. Let
this matter be green or dead. II
green the better, and let 1t decay in
the soil. thereby forming this humus,
which is the life OF the land. II the
seasons go on as they now are this
is going to be one of the best falls
for blowing under this vegetable mat.
ter that was ever seen in this county.
Every acre is going to be covered
with green vegetation OF one sort or
another. OF course, this writer real
lies that stock feed of all kinds is
to be very scarce, and 1t will behoove
every farmer to get all the pasturage
out of his fields that he can by turn
ing his stock in as early as possible
and letting them stay as long as they
will do we'll without feed, which If
man will do while his land is not
wet in many instances 1t pays him.
But after the fall rains set In there
is no farmer that can afford to let his
stock run on his farm land. SO at
this time all stock should be taken
of the farm land and fall breaking
should begin, and every acre that is
intended to be cultivated for next
years crop. broken deeply and
everything that will decay in the soil
should be turned under. like a disk
pillow for breaking in the fall because
1t cuts everything to pieces and then
covers 1t up. Some farmers are ready
to dispute with me as to the advan-
tages or benefits that are to be derived
from deep fall breaking. But have
yet failed to find piece of land where
ii had been broken for two or more
years but that the benefits we're very
plain to be seen. T. B. Martin OF
Steep Hollow has two fields. One OF
these fields has been in cultivation
ever since 1872; the other only a few
years. He has broken a part OF both
of these fields in the fall deeply, and
there was not great deal of vegeta
ton on either field to be turned under
/ yet the difference In the growth of the
cotton on this land from that of ad
joining land that was only prepared
by shallow blowing at planting time
can be seen quite distance, and the
real difference in yield is at least 2;
per cent more in favor of the fall
broken land, and had there been {
good crop of green vegetation to have
been turned under Mr.. Martin believe:
tnat Wltnm three years the yiel(
would be at least 80 per cent better
for he says, and he is right about 1t
that the land with the decaying mat
ter in 1t will respond to the CONNER
cial fertilizer much more readily ant
the result from the application will
be great deal more satisfactory
There is.not-an argument that can b
shoffened .sgainst deep fall blowing, ant
'-I-wheu we know II Is the BEST AM
cheapest way to build up our soil an,
we don't do it--well!
A. W. BUCHANAN,
Farm Demonstration Agent for Bra.
EOS County.