FINDING AND MAKING SOIL 197 



the object being to restore the nitrogen. But now 

 we are working with more precision ; we know what 

 is going on and we know that rotation will be of lit- 

 tle use unless our beans and peas or vetch have bac- 

 terial aid. 



Meanwhile the other side of the question was ex- 

 ploited; that is, if you grow nitrogen-procuring or 

 leguminous plants altogether, while adding to the 

 nitrogen, they will exhaust the potash and phos- 

 phorus. This gave the problem over to commercial 

 fertilizers, which succeeded in furnishing the material 

 that was lacking in the form of nitrates and muriates. 

 Much of this served, however, only as a whip to a 

 tired horse; nothing was added to the soil, but it 

 was goaded to give out whatever life it contained. 

 It is now found that there is a very marked limit to 

 the value of even honest fertilizers. Their work 

 rarely reaches beyond the season of their applica- 

 tion. 



Commercial fertilizers are certainly important, if 

 understood and used under limitations, or I should 

 say with additions. They supply some foods, but 

 practically no organic matter, and the tendency is 

 down and out. They are for good soil, and not for 

 poor soil. I think if I were growing a bed of fancy 

 strawberries I would use a liberal supply of muriate 

 of potash and acid phosphate, but I should consider 

 cottonseed meal more important as a real food; and 

 then I would by no means omit a thorough prepara- 

 tion of the soil with compost and a mulch. 



