Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1919-08-02
THE SCIENCE OF FARMING
By w. A. Dougherty, U. S. D.
The Humus SuppIY of SCI

The Humus Supply Of Soils
Every plan Of farm operation should
include practical methods to maintain
soil fertility. Humus is Of great I'M
portance.
Here are a few practical ways of
increasing the supply Of organic matter
in soils.
Organic matter from which humus
is made is anything derived from veg
etable or animal life. The farmers
best source is barnyard manure, for the
reason that it contains small propor-
tons Of plant food: nitrogen. phos-
phoric acid. and potash, beneficial
bacteria, and because manures decav
rapidly when incorporated with the
SOIL. The stubbIe of crops, and crops
grown Tor turning under and incorpor-
ahng with the soil are an excellent
supplement for barnyard manures Il
is possible and practicable to grow
such crops on certain fields of the
farm every year regardless of the ma
ture OF the farming conducted. The
plan is practicable for the dairvman
alike. 'i''
BY honest Investigators and author
tues on subjects pertaining to soil fer
unity, humus is defined as product
OF the decay of organic matter con-
tanned in the soil.
Crop production is the basis of all
agriculture. A dairy farmer cannot
feed cows without food, and crops are
the feed of cows; horses use corn. oats
and hay for nourishment, and hogs re-
quIre grain, forage crops, and table
refuse. 1t is the first duty of the farm
ef 70 produce crops for foods, feed
Suits and clothing. and crop produc-
ton is limited by soil fertility which
forms the question Of greatest imnor-
lance to the farming industry. If the
industry is to be successful, il is NOT
enough to produce crops; it is neces-
sary that their production result IN .
genuine profit. 1t is not enough to
produce crops that will bring more
than they cost in the way of labor and
manures, without taking into consider
alton the effect of their growth upon
the future productive capacity Of the
. soil. The relation of the outgo and
the income of the fertility elements IS
an important factor in determining pro-
, TITS. One Of the first needs Of the
; farmer, therefore, is to consider the
humus content of the soil he contem-
plates cropping, and the general condi-
tons of the soil. What is needed as a
soil amendment and plant food mater
tally affecting soil fertility, is a know
ledge of the principles underlying its
use.
Plants usually take from the soil
ten (l0) chemical elements which
are required for their normal growth
and development. They are; nitrogen.
potassium, calcium, magnesium, sui
phur, sodium, iron. chlorin, and sill
icon. 1t is not to be inferred that all
these elements are required by all
plants. There are many plants which
grow to maturity without silicon, sodi-
UNI, and chlorin, but all the others
must be present in the soil for normal
growth. 1t happens that practically all
soils contain calcium, magnesium, So
dunn, sulphur. iron. chlorin, and sill
con in sufficient quantities and in suit
able form to support a normal growth
and development Of plants. but nitro
gen, phosphorus. and potassium, which
are used in relatively large amounts,
and are, therefore, called the essential
foods of plants.
Soil Fertility: Actual and Potential
Because many conditions influence
soil fertility, II is not easily defined.
In broad sense it means the power
or ability of soil to produce crops un-
der certain definite conditions which
cannot be changed by man. On the
other hand, certain phases of fertility
are distinctly dependent upon man.
and one of those phases is to know
approximately the humus content Of
your soils to be put into crops. Poten-
tial fertility Is measured by the total
content of food elements in the soil,
whereas actual fertility is that part Of
the potential fertility which is in such
a form that 1t may be used by the
plant. 1t is, therefore, the farmers
mission to so work his soil as to In
crease the amount of actual fertility
by changing the form of a part of the
potential fertility to form disable by
the plant.
Direct and Indirect Manures