SUCCESSFUL AGRICULTURE. 255 



decay, is the great want in the way of successful agriculture. 

 Without humus, soil is absolutely barren. With an abundance 

 of it, any crop may be grown by means of some of the artificial 

 manures as additions. The soil of the Western prairies is made 

 up, in great measure, of humus, the product of ages of decayed 

 vegetation. A growing crop takes humus from the soil, but if 

 allowed to mature and decay where it grows, there comes to be 

 an absolute addition of humus to the soil, and the land becomes 

 richer and capable of giving larger results. Where this action 

 goes on from year to year and from century to century, as in 

 the case of the prairies, the upper portion of the soil becomes 

 in time little else than an immense bed of humus. Now if 

 this natural action could be imitated by the farmer, it is evi- 

 dent that he would be increasing the productive capacity of his 

 lands each year, and in time might be able to reach the limit 

 of success. What, then, stands in the way of it? 



The great objection which presents itself is, that it is through 

 the sale and use of the various crops grown, the farmer thrives, 

 and if he is to leave them to decay upon the land he must him- 

 self starve. Therefore he feeds a part of his crops to his 

 animals, consumes a portion in his family, and disposes of the 

 remainder in exchange for articles which he cannot produce. 



In the general agriculture of the country, hay is the largest 

 and most valuable product, and may be considered, in this con- 

 nection, as a representative crop. A great portion of the hay 

 grown is consumed on the farm or in the locality where pro- 

 duced. Li the process of mastication the hay becomes finely 

 divided, and after it has passed through the animal it is found 

 to liave lost a portion of its starch, albumen, &c., which have 

 gone to assist in building up the structure of the animal or to 

 supply its daily waste. That part which remains is the finely 

 divided woody fibre of h^, mixed with some excrementitous 

 matters. The great bulk of the food which has passed through 

 the animal is still hay, but it is found to have assumed a state 

 from which, in the presence of moisture and warmth, it soon 

 passes into the condition of humus. It becomes humus nuich 

 sooner under the same circumstances than undigested hay. 

 The loss in its humus producing qualities is inconsiderable. If 

 this substance which is known as stable or yard manure, be 

 returned to the land, it will be nearly as valuable as if the 



