The Spectator., 1915-12-07
li.-hOW PLANTS FEED.

ii.-hOW PLANTS FEED.
 By w. c. Lassetter, Asst Director Cooperative Extension for Arkansas
 Plants require for their growth, me chanical support. air. heat, light, wa ter and food. All of these, with the exception of light, are supplied wholly or in part by the soil Composed as it is of rock fragments and decaying vegetable matter. the soil offers a place for root development and af- lords physical support for the plant. The air present in the spaces be- tween the soil particles is used by the roots of plants. Heat Is supplied in part by the soil as result of it's physical condition. Water, while not a component part of soil, is furnished to the plant by 1t. and the physical condition of the soil determines the amount of water that may be reserved for use by plants The water sur rounding the soil particles dissolves plant food and the solution is absorb cd by the plant roots. Thus the soil must net only furnish . physical sup port for plants, but it must supply plant food and afford means for tran sferrins the food to the plant.
 Ten elements of plant food are con sidered to be absolutely essential for the growth of plants. Three of these, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen, are ob- tained from the air while phospho- rus. potassium, calcium Qime), mag nesium, iron and sulphur are obtained directly from the soil itself
 Carbon and oxygen are obtained from the air. where carbon is pres ent in the form of carbon dioxide gas and where oxygen exists in free con dftion. These gases are taken into the plant through the leaves, and there combine with water to form the complex vegetable compounds.
 The nitrogen used by plants is secured through the soil Through decay of the vegetable matter in the soil the nitrogen bearing compounds in 1t are broken down into more sim pie forms, which. through the action of various soil bacteria. are soon changed into a form that can be used by plants. With these processes g0- ing on all the time (except when the soil IS frozen or waterloggedD, a con stant supply of available nitrogen is provided. The content of vegetable matter in the soil must be kept up at all times to insure sufficient quantity of nitrogen for good crops.
 Nitrogen from the air can only be secured by growing leguminous crops on the roots of which nodules are formed. The bacteria living in the nodules gather nitrogen from the air in the soil, and store 1t in organic combination in the nodules. Some of this is used by the host plant, but most Of 1t is Ien In soil to become available through decay of nodules.
 The mineral elements essential for plant growth are supplied by the soil. They are part, to a greater or less
 
 constitute the body of the soil.
 Lime in soils becomes soluble so readily. and our rainfall is so heavy. that it has been washed from even the best limestone soils in Arkansas. Most of our soils, therefore. are lacking in lime sufficient for the sat isfactory growth of many lime loving crops. This, with other changes in the soil, has led to soil acidity.
 Phosphorus and potash are present in all soils. usually in quite insoluble form They form part of certain minerals found in the rock fragments of the soil, These minerals are brok. en down and the phosphorus and pot ash made soluble through exposure to weather, the atmosphere. the decay of vegetable matter, and a slight solv. ent effect of plant roots. Potash in many of our soils is present in sui. ficient quantities to last for hundreds Of years, but because of improper til lage and an insufficient amount of de caying vegetable matter it does not in all cases become soluble fast enough to support good crops
 Phosphorus is the mineral element most seriously lacking in Arkansas soils. For satisfactory crops of any kind it is necessary to replentish the phosphorus supply by the application of phosphorus bearing fertilizer, Epw rock phosphate. acid phosphate, or bone meal
 When the supply Of any one of the ten elements of plant food is limited. the crop is limited. Since all of these gre fNsnished either by the air or