186 FARM MANAGEMENT 



MAINTAINING THE ORGANIC MATTER 



120. Importance of organic matter. The most im- 

 portant soil problem in nearly all regions is the question 

 of organic matter. This problem is particularly serious 

 in the South. In regions with long seasons, a tremendous 

 quantity of organic matter is used up each year. In 

 colder regions, the " decay " is less rapid. In the South, 

 the great soil problems are organic matter And erosion, 

 and the latter problem is, to a considerable extent, a prob- 

 lem of organic matter, because this helps to hold the soil. 



Each farm must ordinarily grow its own organic matter 

 supply. Occasionally, a farmer may depend on purchased 

 manure or hay, straw, or other feed, but these are expen- 

 sive and bulky to handle, and cannot often be secured 

 at prices that will enable a farmer to make a profit from 

 them. 



There are three general methods of adding organic 

 matter to the soil. (1) By crop roots, stubble, etc. 

 (2) The use of farm manure. (3) Plowing under of green 

 crops. 



121. Crop residues. On some of the richer soils in 

 the North, the clover and other crop roots and stubble 

 seem to be sufficient to keep up the supply of organic 

 matter, but on most soils some of the crop must be 

 returned to the land, if the supply is to be maintained. 



In parts of the corn-belt, the corn is husked from the 

 standing stalks, because where feed is very cheap it does 

 not pay to harvest corn stalks. 1 The stalks are then 

 pastured more or less, and are plowed under for the 

 succeeding crop. This is a valuable source of organic 

 matter on these farms, and goes a long ways toward keep 



i Minnesota, Bulletin 104, p. 86. 



