MANURES AND HUMUS IN SOIL. 153 



"Wty, here is the best indication yet of whether 

 alfalfa will thrive in a field. If the black birds fol- 

 low the plowman it is sure to grow ; if no black birds 

 come let him beware how he sows alfalfa." It is 

 indeed a true indication for all eastern soils; there 

 may be lands in the South and West where the earth 

 worm is not a sure indication. Earth worms thrive 

 only where there is humus in the land. They do a 

 most useful work in opening the soil by means of 

 their tunnels to let in air and let out water. They 

 bury up vegetable matter and promote bacterial 

 life. * Where earth worms are the soil is evidently 

 drained, although it may not be drained deep 

 enough. 



Alfalfa Loves Rich Soils. — The plain truth is that 

 thousands of men all over the eastern states of 

 America have tried to grow alfalfa on land too poor 

 for it. Alfalfa loves fertile soil. In turn it adds 

 greatly to the fertility of any land on which it grows. 

 It is an energetic soil enricher, but it will not en- 

 rich poor soils. That may be a pity, but it is after 

 all in the order of Nature. "To him who hath shall 

 be given. ' ' One must have fertility in order to trap 

 more fertility. No other available plant will gather 

 so much fertility as the alfalfa plant. A field of it 

 will gather nitrogen largely, the hay may be fed, 

 the manure saved, another field enriched and sown 

 to alfalfa and thus the fertility will spread from the 

 one spot of infection till all the farm is covered. 

 But only by beginning right, by making one field 

 rich and dry and sweet, getting it set in alfalfa, 



