The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-13
WITH THE FARMERS
BY Prof. w. F. MASSEY


when ii was first cleared from the for
est; the material that then made IT a
fresh and mellow soil and a produc-
tive one For untold ages tho forest
trees had been sending their roots
deep In the soil and dropping their
leaves 20 decay, and tho soil kept
fertile and great trees developed and
renewed their kind from seed and
sprouts. and tho soil lost nothing, but
was gaining all the time for tho great
or part of this carbonaceous material
came from the air, and all that the
forest got from tho soil went back to
it In the decaying leaves and dead
trunks. Then mar came in, and year
afior year cultivated the soil In the
cleanest OF cultivated crops, constant
" exposing IL to the sun, and burning
out the humus that had made the soil
warm and mellow and retentlrc OF
moisture until at last there remained
only the old dead skeleton OF sand and
clay. simply the foundation OF sou
that had been robbed.
Ana then tho same course or SOIL
exhaustion was continued by "a tenn
porary galvanizing tho soil into a
semblance of life with a little COM
mcrcial fertilizer. But the bacteria
that had made il q living soil were
all starved out, and even the fertiliz-
ers did not have their best effect be-
cause OF the drying out or the SOIL
and the deficiency of moisture TO mako
the solution OF tho plant food. Tho
fundamental problem. then, for restor-
Ing the old worn coils to produc-
tive condition. is the getting back tho
new ground conditions. Nature. left
alone, will do this In the course OF
time by restoring the forest growth.
and but for the broomscdge and tho
old field pines q large portion OF the
South would to-day be bowling vii
derness-
Blu, wa cannot afford to wal. for the
slow process of nature. We can get
back to the new ground conditions in
Z, shorter way through the growth
and use OF the legurne crops Through
their growth and use, for the mere
growing OF tho iegumes and failing
10 return them to the soil. either by
using them directly AS manure, or by
feeding them TO stock and returning the
manure to the soil that grew them, will
never improve the soil. We must use
tho legumes rs a means for the restor-
alton OF the humus that formerly eS-
ietcd In the newly cleared soil
How to do this In the most econom-
zeal gay is the real problem.
am often asked II II VIII not i'm
prove the soil faster TO turn under all
the lcgumc growth. than to cut it OH
and feed IL 1t certainly Will put the
humus-mak king material there faster
perhups But. rs mater OF farm
economy, viii II pay TO turn under Il
crop OF feed worth $50 al acre as ma
pure, when BY feeding il and care
fully saving and returning the manure
as fast as made. we can recover more
than 50 per cent OF the manurial value
cf the crops. and still get back n
large amount OF organic matter used
az bedding.
Much haa been written in regard to
what is called green rnanuring. but. at
ter n long life spent In the study and
cultivation OF the soil. feel sure that.
AS a rule, II is better to feed all for
age crops and use the manure.
As a friend in South Carolina once
said, Texas feeds three becves for
every bale OF cotton she grows. while
North and South Carolina grow three
bales Of cotton FOR every beef they
raise. and we will have TO get 70 the
Texas ratio If we are TO Improve our
soils, Some sort OF stock raising and
feeding lies 1T the very foundation of
all rational soil Improvement, and
while. with the aid OF the legumcs and
chemical fertilizers, we can Improve
the soil. il Is done at a higher cost
tnan through stock feeding. AS the
fundnmcntalJ then OF soil improve
ment. We have tho legume crops and
their feeding to enable us to get back
to the new ground conditions.
once IN driving along road in
North Carolina With friend, we
passed two fields OF cotton on opposite
sides OF the road. On one side the
cotton was OF very uniform height
and a dark green and healthy color.
On the other side the cotton was OF
all sorts OF heights, and was pale and
shedding. said 70 my friend that
the hrst man certainly had q hotter
selection OF seed. Mt least Ho re-
pied: Yes. lie Is "a good farmer. and
lie Keeps herd OF cows and makes
butter for the market. and good ar
tIcie. too. and he makes manure for
MS cotton" That explained the diff
ference very largely. for tho making
or butter makes n smaller draft on the
SOIL than any form OF stock feeding,
ana me reason for the healthy color OF
the cotton was evident But right
across the road. with this object les
son before him. his neighbour still
worked IN the I'D ruts. and made poor
COTTON And the most amazing thing
all over the South is that men hive
eyes 10 see and do not see.
Getting n Quick Hay Crop.
II shall be rather short OF hay next
spring. What c:fr l SOW to make the
earliest crop OF hay, as a temporary
resort? II you can catch the land in
GOOD condition In late February or
early March about tho quickest bay
crop You can get will be to SOW oat
on good strong piece OF land. and
atter they are we'll started I'm growth
give them top dressing OF nitrate OF
SODA about 100 pounds an acre to en-
courage rapid growth. and cut then,
Tor hav just as they are passing from
the milk stage. Later you can SOW
some German millct and cut 1t as soon