40 TRUCK FARMING 



acid, which decomposes the minerals in the soil, setting free, 

 besides other substances, potash and phosphoric acid. 



Moreover, this humus has the power of absorbing about six 

 times as much latent nitrogen as is contained in the best stable 

 manure, which can all be made available plant food through thor- 

 ough tillage, liberal applications of lime or carbonate of potash. 

 A great argument in favor of manure is that it forms this humus. 

 However, it must not be forgotten that these same results can 

 be obtained by turning under green leguminous crops and these 

 can be grown with fertilizers. 



The chief objection to the use of stable manure is the item of 

 expense ; being of so bulky a nature, it costs a great deal to prepare 

 and handle. Another objection is that it differs so much in quality, 

 one cannot determine with any definiteness the fertilizing elements 

 contained therein; this is caused by the difference in the fodder 

 with which the animals are fed, the quality and quantity of bed- 

 ding used as an absorbent, and the final care with which the com- 

 post is prepared. I do not want to discourage the use of compost, 

 however, as I deem it indispensable for such uses as starting 

 plants as outlined above, but when once introduced, these germs of 

 nitrification will stay in the soil and it would be a useless expense 

 to apply this compost except as a plant starter only, using there- 

 after the much cheaper commercial fertilizers to complete the 

 growing crop. 



As we keep but few horses or other animals in this country, 

 I would advise all truckers to save all refuse that will decompose 

 quickly, and add to the bedding, or compost heap, and if handy 

 cover the same liberally with muck or dry earth. We must learn 

 to look upon the compost heap as we would upon a savings 

 bank account a growing interest-bearing investment. As before 

 mentioned, the trucking interests are of such magnitude that we 

 must use commercial fertilizer, there being not enough manure to 

 supply more than a meager share of our needs, especially in South 

 Florida, where the trucking business will, without a doubt, con- 

 tinue to be a leading industry. A large per cent of the plant food 

 in the soils of the North are made available by the severe action 



