Soil culture and modern farm methods (1916) (14780300174)

Identifier: soilculturemoder00taylrich (find matches)

Title: Soil culture and modern farm methods

Year: 1916 (1910s)

Authors: Taylor, Warren E. 1854- Deere & Co., Moline, Ill

Subjects: Agriculture

Publisher: Moline, Ill

Contributing Library: University of California Libraries

Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

Text Appearing Before Image:

Sugar Beets_. 10 tons 50. 9. 78.5 137.5 Apples 300 bu. 23.5 2 5 28.5 54.5 The above table gives the amount of each of the three essentialelements removed from an acre of soil by some of the principal farmcrops. To return to the soil all of the plant food removed and some addi-tional, the farmer should apply five good loads or tons of manure toeach acre. By applying more than five tons, the fertility will beincreased proportionately. It will be remembered that a ton of averagebarnyard manure contains— 10 pounds of nitrogen From 6 to 7 pounds of phosphoric acid From 12 to 16 pounds of potash Therefore, five tons would contain— 50 pounds of nitrogen 30 to 35 pounds of phosphoric acid 60 pounds of potash making a total of 142.5 pounds which is more than any of the cropsmentioned in the foregoing table require. While the corn and cottoncrops consume more nitrogen than is returned in the manure, the stalksof both plants are usually left on the ground and finally worked intothe seed-bed.

Text Appearing After Image:

HUMUS THUS far, we have considered only the plant food elements con-tained in manure. Manure has another value of greater impor-tance which, if thoroughly appreciated by the farmer, would prompthim to make stock-raising a prominent feature and cause him to preserveand utilize every atom of everything which can be construed as manure,for it is the foundation of the yeast of the soil. It is the organic sub-stance which is finally resolved into humus. Value of Humus Humus is just as necessary to make soil fertile as water is to make limeand sand into plaster. Soil which is barren of live humus is as unpro-ductive as pure sand. The value of humus is apparent, but the chem-istry of its component parts is not thoroughly understood. We know, however, that it is the portion of organic matter found inthe soil which is in a partly-rotted conditon. We know that it supplies nitrogenous plant food and combines withphosphorous, potash and other fertilizing elements, making them avail-able and effec

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1916

University of California

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