The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-07-26
BIZ III. II. SHEPARD

TIC animals Tor growth, productlon, or
work Cows and chickens must be given
food to furnish materials for milk and
eggs Hogs must be fed to gain flesh;
horses mist eat for strength to work;
sheep must eat to produce wool, and a
young animal must eat to grow The
farmer must furnish the feeds or fail
with animals.
Take the dairy COW for example.
When the COW freshens she will give
large flow of milk, and she would con-
tinue to give this flow of milk for sew
eral days confined in stall without
feed. But witohut feed she would grad
ually decrease in her milk flow, and
then she would starve and die Her body
would gradually waste away in natures
attempt to maintain life and secrete
milk.
No farmer would be SO shortsighted
as to keep COW for the small amount
of milk she would give with the con-
sumption of her bodily tissues only. The
act would be considered not only very
poor business but very inhuman. Yet
thousands of farmers annually permit
their soils to drain themselves of their
vital elements without the slightest at
tention. They know that the COW must
be fed regularly and well for her to pro-
duce well and remain a healthy and
profitable animal, and yet they do not
seem to know that the soil must like
wise be fed regularly for it to produce
heavily and remain healthy.
sick SOIL"
The poorly nourished animal becomes
weak and subject to disease. The term
sick soip' is common and well applied.
Much of human headache is caused by
all acid, or sour condition of the stom-
ach. Much soil is sick for the same rea-
son; it has become sour. Too much crop
ping and not enough feeding, or fertiliz-
ing, Will poison the soil in other ways
and reduce it's vitality and producing
power, as has been shown by science
and practical farming experience.
A sick or weak man or animal cannot
work well, and it is similarly true with a
sick or weak soil. Soda, being alkaline
chemically, is given to correct stomach
acidity; lime, being also alkaline, is APP
piled to sour soils to correct soil acidity.
Both are cases of doctoring a sick pa
tient. 1t is good sense and good bust
ness to feed and doctor the soil the same
as human beings and other animals are
fed and doctored
In some cases. of physical trouble with
man and domestic animals ordinary med
ical treatment will not remove the trou-
BILE, A surgical operation Is necessary.
1t is similarly so with Soils Blasting
out stumps and stones; blowing and sub
soiling; and tile draining might be
lciH GU uISiCdl operations performed on
the soil. They bring health. vitality and
productiveness to the soil where more
fertilizers fail. Many of our fields need
under drainage more than manure
FEEDING THE SOIL
But feeding the soil is the main thing.
Only in special cases is it necessary to
resort to medicine or surgical opera
ton. AS animals must be fed every day,
and twice every day, So must the soil
be fed every year for it to remain strong
and capable of high production. If a
field produces without being fed its vital
strength is being drained without re-
pair, and it gradually grows weaker and
less responsive with cropping. If cropped
too long without being fed in some way
1t becomes exhausted and practically
dead SO far as profits are concerned.
Gardeners near large cities where land
is high and rents very high know how to
feed the soil to keep it strong and
healthy. In most cases they manure the
land heavily every year, in some cases
SO heavily that the pillow cannot turn it
under and men fork it into the furrow
as the blowing is done. If our farm
lands were fertilized half as heavily and
as often our barns and granaries could
not hold half the crops. 1t would be ut
terly impossible for gardeners to make
living unless they fed their garden
soil heavily and often.
Farmers who have the best animals
and make the most money from them in
variably feed their animals heavily and
regularly. They know that they can
rot expect much from their animals I'M
less they give the animals much; some
thing given in return for something,
which is sense
Progressive farmers everywhere now
are giving careful attention to feeding
the soil for maintenance and increased
production. 1t is a vital business propo-