GROWING LEGUMES FOR SOIL BETTERMENT 99 



thoroughly penetrate the soil. Old roots decay and new 

 ones grow. When the sod is plowed up, more or less 

 vegetable matter is turned under. This, with the mass 

 of roots in the soil, adds no small amount to the supply of 

 humus. Another advantage from the cultivation of 

 clovers and alfalfa is found in the fact that they are deep- 

 rooted plants, and when their roots decay they leave 

 channels deep into the earth, thus aiding in the absorption 

 of rains and letting in air to sweeten the soil 



Properly handled, stable manure is by all means the 

 best remedy for poverty of the soil. Very few farmers 

 handle manure so as to get even as much as half the 

 possible value from it. There is probably no greater 

 waste in the world than in connection with the handling 

 of manure by the American farmer. Five-eighths of the 

 plant food in manure is found in the liquid part of it. 

 This is usually all lost. Not only is this the case, but the 

 solids are piled beside the barn, frequently under the 

 eaves, where rains wash away much of their value. Fer- 

 mentation in these manure piles also sets free much of 

 the nitrogen to escape into the air. 



In order to produce a ton of dry hay on an acre of 

 land it is necessary that the growing grass pump up from 

 that acre approximately 500 tons of water. In order to 

 supply this enormous quantity of water, the soil must not 

 only be in condition to absorb and hold water well, but 

 it must be porous enough to permit water to flow freely 

 from soil grain to soil grain. The presence of large 

 quantities of decaying organic matter (humus) adds 

 enormously to the water-holding capacity of the soil. One 

 ton of humus will absorb 2 tons of water and give it up 

 readily to growing crops. Not only that, but the shrink- 

 ing of the particles of decaying organic matter and the 

 consequent loosening of soil grains keep the soil open and 

 porous. 



Furthermore, humus of good quality is exceedingly 



