No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 179 



wliicli exposes larger surfanes to the action of the air, water aud 

 feeding- roots, and renders the soils less liable to sudden changes in 

 temperatures in summer, and the conseciuent destruction of living 

 organisms. He must keep his soil occupied with growing plants 

 to preveut losses of plant food, aud to increase the store of veg- 

 etable matter, which provides a better medium for the activities 

 of living organisms, besides improving physical and chemical char- 

 acter. He must ajiiily lime, in order to neutralize acids fatal to the 

 life of the bacteria, as well as to cement the fine particles of soil 

 into larger ones, thus increasing the power of the air and water 

 to assist in the perfection of his medium for the growth of crops. 



A brief description of the working of these two types of soils, 

 and which result in a rai)id improvement, will .make clear the appli- 

 cation of the principles. In the casr of the clay soil, one line of 

 practice might be, first, to plow the land late in the fall, throwing 

 th(^ furrow on edge, so as to expose as large a surface as possible 

 to the freezing and thawing of winter, and to permit a freer circula- 

 tion of wat<'r, both of whicli agencies change the chemical aud jihys- 

 ical character, breaking up the chemical compounds, and cementing 

 the Jinc particles tog<^tlier, unlocking plant food and making it 

 more porous. In warm climates this would I'esult in some loss of 

 plant food, bn< the loss would be more than counterbalanced by 

 the benefits that would come from the changing of the base existing 

 in the soil. In spring, as soon as the land is dry enough, deep cul- 

 tivation should be practiced, and it should be preferably limed, in 

 order to make the particles as fine as possible, to permit the heat 

 and water to freely ])enetrate, and make conditions favorable for 

 quick germination and early growth, because plant food has been 

 made available, which is freely movable in soil solution. A cul- 

 tivable crop, should preferably be planted, and constant surface 

 cultivation of the crop will help to retain moisture in the lower 

 layers, prt'venting the baking of the soil in dry times, while at 

 the sa.me time contributing more available plant food. If planted 

 with corn, before or as soon as tlie crop is harvested, it should be 

 seeded with crimson or mammoth clover, vetch, rye, wheat or any 

 crop that will make sufificient growth in the fall to absorb the sol- 

 uble nitrates accumulated but not used by the corn, and that might 

 be lost during the winter. This catch crop, in addition to holding 

 plant food and preventing mechanical losses, will accumulate veg- 

 etable matter; the entire crop, or the roots and stubble, may be 

 turned in in spring, thus adding to the soil substances which have 

 a tendency to separate the fine particles, and make the physical 

 character better, but also of adding organic substance containing 

 nitrogen, which adds a valuable constituent, but which in its decay 

 assists in the solution of mineral food. In spring, as soon as the 

 catch croy> has been harvested, or is turned in, the land should be 

 again seeded with corn, oats or barley; if either of the latter crops, 

 the land, as soon as they are harvested, should be immediately cul- 

 tivated rather than plowed, and seeded to a summer catch crop, 

 cow^ peas, soy beans or buckwheat. With any of these crops the 

 seed germinate quickly, and the plants soon cover the soil, keeping 

 it cool and moist, besides contributing to its u]>building in the ways 

 already mentioned. The land should be limed occasionally, and pref- 

 erably after plowing and thoroughly incorporated with the surface 



