62 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



soil ; it runs off rapidly into the ditches and streams, and 

 the soil does not get as much benefit in recent 3^ears of the 

 rainfall, because of this compactness from the loss of the 

 humus which is so vitally necessary. Then, again, by not 

 being able to absorb and hold so much water, when the dry 

 periods come the soil dries quickl}^, and crops that used 

 to go through dry periods without material suffering from 

 drought to-day are seriously cut off. 



The soil may contain an abundance of plant food, yet 

 crops fail for want of sufficient moisture to make it soluble 

 and available. The rainfall is often insufficient to meet the 

 demands of growing crops, not only because of its deficiency 

 in quantity, but of its unequal distribution. The dependence 

 must be largely on that which is stored in the soil, and Avhich 

 is to be drawn on by plants at all times, and particularly in 

 times of drought. 



Another and very important function of humus is in the 

 acids that are formed by the decay of plants, which act upon 

 and make plant food more readily available. In the decay 

 of plants they return to the soil that which has been taken 

 out of it ; and if clover, peas, beans and other legumes are 

 used for plowing in, they will add nitrogen in liberal quan- 

 tity, or sufficient to meet all demands and requirements of 

 plants. This most essential plant food — nitrogen — is more 

 readily lost than others, and of this many soils are greatly 

 impoverished. 



The next illustration shows how we can not only produce 

 humus abundantly and economically, but also add nitrogen 

 in its cheapest possible form. In the discussion this morn- 

 ing of that very admirable paper of Mr. Howard, you 

 realized the importance of using freely of nitrogen, and not 

 only of that but other elements of plant food in the grow- 

 ing of intensive market-gardening crops. 



It is a problem, with the majority of farmers living 10 

 miles or more out of Boston, how to obtain extra fertilizer 

 for their land. In the State Board meeting there are com- 

 ])aratively few iarmers, market gardeners, or fruit growers 

 who live within 5 miles of Boston. Many of you live out 

 perhaps 25 or 50 miles and farther, and you have not the same 



