SECTION XIV. HOW THE SOIL BECOMES 



POOR 



SURFACE washing is one of the means by which land 

 becomes poor, and it is one that can be prevented by 

 proper use of ditches and terraces and by better methods 

 of farming. If any fields are so steep that terraces or 

 ditches will not protect them against surface washing, they 

 should be allowed to grow up in useful trees. Otherwise 

 they should be planted to some grass or grazing plant, the 

 matted roots of which will do much to hold the soil in 

 place. Bermuda grass is one of the best of these soil- 

 binding plants. When this is not wanted, other grasses 

 or clovers can be used instead. 



Leaching. On all soils there is a loss of fertility that 

 cannot be seen and is often not suspected. This is leach- 

 ing or the dissolving of plant-food by the rain water and 

 the draining of this water and of the dissolved plant-food 

 in it through the soil, and into the streams. This loss 

 is greater than any other in our Southern climate. It 

 occurs chiefly during the winter, when rains are heaviest 

 and when there are no living roots to use the soluble 

 plant-food. It can be prevented by causing living plants 

 to occupy the fields during the winter. Wheat, rye, crim- 

 son clover, or any other plants in active growth during the 

 winter send their roots throughout the soil. These roots 



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