The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-10-05

The chief factor in successful farm ing is land preparation. Every farmer knows this yet many will let the fall months slip by when blowing should be done. This all important job is put off for various reasons, the most com mon of which are too dry or too wet soil conditions. It is not good prac- tice to blow the soil when wet but it never gets too dry and generally the fall months are dry. No one will deny that land broken in the fall will yield q much better return the following sea- son than if allowed to go unbroken, then why not break the soil when weather conditions are much better than is the case in the great majority ening of any of the essential plant foods, to the farmer but to every individual who undertakes to grow or produce anything from the soil. There is much for the home gardener to do.
 Soda Nitrate Not The Only Fertilizer
 Nitrate of Soda, the commercial pro- duct usually containing 15 to 16 per cent of nitrogen, is not the only ferti- lizer, neither is it the chief source of nitrates or a complete ration for any growing plant. Like meat in the hu- man ration, nitrogen is the most i'm portant element of plant food, likewise the most expensive. A curious idea pre- vails that if cheap nitrates were avail able the farmers cost of production would amount to but little. The cheap ening of any of the essential plant fods, phosphOrOus, potash and nitrogen would of course reduce the cost of most farm products but we seem to lose sight of the importance of phOsphorous, and potash. But few, if any, crops can be economically grown without the aid of all three of the essential plant foods. It is just as important to develop new sources of potash and phOsphates as it is to encourage the manufacture of air nitrates, yet no one seems to be giving the matter any thought in the public press. It is the leguminous plants such as peas, beans and the clovers that are making and storing up the nitrates in the soil and doing it regardless of politics or publicity. Let's plant more of them. s.t
 Testing The Soil
 The Age-Herald does not maintain laboratory for soil analysis but for the benefit of many inquirers some practical methods are here pointed out. The state experiment station at Au- burn. Ala, will make under certain restrictions, soil analysis for those in terested. Every farmer should be will ing to devote some time to practical experiments on his own farm. A good plant is to take number of flower pots of suitable size and fill with the natural soil and to each one use diff ferent combination of plant foods, leav- ing one unferterlized and plant all to corn, grasses, vegetables or grains and note the results secured in the differ ent fertilized pots and compare with the growth in the pots where no fertilizer is used. The experiment is very instruc- tive as well as interesting and always safe guide in directing one to any plant food deficiency.
 To determine if your soil needs lime. get q few pieces of blue litmus paper from your druggist. select T place where the soil is moist, make a cut in it with a knife and insert the blue strip of paper and firm the soil around it, If the, soil is acid, the paper in a short time will turn red or pinkish. Remem- Der that blue litmus paper turns red with acid while red litmus turns blue with alkali.
 Questions And Answers
 (QD What is the proper tempera- ture to maintain in a hot bed for growing plants?-O. D., Cullman, Ala.
 (A.) Much depends on the plant. The majority of plants do best around 8 to G5 degrees. Some few, the more tender, such as tomato, pepper and egg plant should have at least 10 de grees more heat. See letter.
 (Q.) In buying the potash salts for manure purposes which is the cheapest or the strongest, the sulphate or mu- riate?-H. E., Opp, Ala.
 (A.) There is but little difference