v
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The Polk County News j the rt-jM
ji?e on cinnus tue wu cum ww-
PublheJ every Thursday.
JOHN 0 BIERBAUM
Editor
Entered at the Post-office at Columbus,
N, C, as eornd ciass matter. -
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M'tke all checks, draft, and money or
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Columbus. N. C,
COLUMBUS, N. C, SEPT. 7- 9i-
Hecsssity ol Grpnic Mailer In lUs Soil.
No. 4.
SOURING THE LAND.
On one occasion a good farmer
came to me and said 'Last spring
I plowed under a heavy crop of
crimson clover, planted my corn
and got nothing. My land was
.soured and my crop was killed."
Another said he had plowed un
der a heavy crop of peavines late
in the summer, sowed wheat, and
got no stand. The land soured
and the wheat failed to germin
ate. Still' another said he plowed
under a heavy crop of vines and
weeds which rendered the soil so
acid he was unable to grow a crop
for three or four years afterward.
We could give a long list of names
of men who by their own practi
cal experience have proven to
themselves conclusively that thex
use of green manure positirely
does sour the land and renders it
infertile for a long time. Now, if
one is out for a difficult job, just
let him attempt to dissuade these
men from the belief that their
land has been toured by the use
of green manure. They stick to
the old idea as tenaciously as to
their right-arms. They feel that
their theory is based on practical
experience (and what is better in
the substantiation of any theory
than practical experience? Noth
ing, to be sure).
Now, we have all had experi
ences. We know that certain ef
fects follow certain causes. More
over, we instinctively assign some
cause for every effect. Frequent
ly without taking the trouble to
investigate the fact on which our
conclusions are based. Admitting
that all facts are covered by some
theory, one should always check
his theory by his facts and strive
to bring his facts in line with the
correct theory. We often sustain
loss by assigning the wrong cause
to an observed effect. v
The farmers referred to above
plowed the green manure under,
planted the crop and received no
return. There was some cause, to
be sure, for the failure of the
crop. Some one guested the green
stuff soured the soil and further
investigation was generally
thought useless. Some advised
the use of lime to correct this acid
condition. Few farmers,however,
were disposed to buy enough lime
to correct the large amount of
acid they could imagine would be
developed in the decay of so large
an amount of green manure plow
ed under. The result was that
A they did not use the green n.an
ure, fearing the detrimental ef
fects on the soil, and the land has
remained poor for lack of humus
to this day. j.j
No w, what really happens when '
a heavy crop of green manure is
turned into the Jand? In order to
make the explanation clear we
... will have to bring to our aid a few
. terms and fundamental principles
of physics but these are simple 1
and easily understood. , .
"Fill a lamp full of oil, put the'
wick in it and note what happens.
The oil begins to rise iu the wick
and finally reaches the top. The
oil will continue to rise in the
'.wick till every drop is taken out
of the bowl of the lamp. The oil
'. in the lamp bowl is called gracita
tion oil; that in the wick is called1
' capillary oil. ; The rain falls on ti e
land and-gravi cation pulls it down. ;
. several.feet below the surface.
This is called gravitation water.
When the sun shines this same
, waier begins to climb up between t
tinues;to .climb until it reacht s
the surface .where it is dried up
by the sun just as the oil isjaurn
ed away by the flame. This is
called capillary water. This cap
illary water continues to rise to
the surface of the soil until every
drop is taken out of the subsoil
and dispensed into the air as
vapor.
No farmer would hope to grow
a crop with the water in the first
six inches of soil only. He ex
pects the moisture to rise to the
surface from depths ranging from
three to five feet below.
Now, let us cut the lamp wick
in twu and let" the two pieces
come within l-16th inch of each
other. At the same time we will
put a wide thin board six inches
below the surface of the soil. Let
the lamp burn and let the sun
shine on the - soil and see what
happens. You have found that
your oil did not rise above the cut
place in the wick and your lamp
has gone out while there was an
abundance of oil in the bowl. You
have found also that the six in
ches of soil above the board is dry
as dust white that is quite moist
under the board. Why? Because
the air space cut off the rise of
oil in the wick and the solid board
cut off the rise of moisture from
the great reservoir below to the
six inches of soil above it.
But what has thi3 to do with
the "souring of the land." Near
ly everything. The phenomenon
called the "souring of the soil"
is nearly always based on the
principles outlined above. Instead
of using the board let us plow
under a six or eight ton crop of
green clover orcowpeas, eight or
ten inches deep. Let this mass of
vegetation lie during the month
of August, say, then examine it
after a hot, dry period of ten
days or two weeks and see what
has occurred. You might use
some blue litmus paper and test
for acid. If there is an appreci
able amount of acid present you
will get a red color in the litmus
paper but be sure to tear up the
vines and examine the soil just
below, also examine carefully the
eight or ten inches of soil just
8bove the mass of vines. Your
litmus paper will not likely be
colored at all because you are not4
likely to find any acid but you
will find the soil just below the
vines as wet as mud, perhaps,
while the eight or ten inches on
top of the vines will be as dry as
dust. Here you have the explan
ation of the "souring" effect of
green manure on well drained
lands.
(To be continued.)
J. L. Burgess,
N. C. Dept. of Agriculture.
BHIEFS TROH MELY1H HILL
Corresponittnce of .The News. .
A few of the people here have
started to pick cotton. ;
There was quite an electric
storm here Sunday.
Melvin Hill is listening for a;
wedding sometime this week.' ,
Preaching here next Saturday
and Sunday, at 11 a.m. Also Sun
day night, at "early candle light
ing."
Messrs. Pink and Pervey Stacy
of Copley Springs were the guests
of Mr. J. W. Stacy Sunday.
Tommy Peterson, who has been
in the hospital for some time, ar
rived home Saturday, all O. K.
The Misses Canti'ell of Henri
etta were the guests of the Miss
es Head Saturday and Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. George Brans
corn, and Dr. Head, who attend
ed district meetings in Allegheny!
county arrived home Thursday
and report a pleasant trip.
Dull times for the young folks.
They have to go to work again,
pulling fodder and. picking cot
ton, and, oh, how they dread it!;
Good luck to the News
Thank yuu.-N.M.
Gretchen
'77
OR
We have jusV received a large shipment of
COOK STOVES
and are prepared to sell you these at very low prices for
cash. Will sell on installments at fair prices and weekly
or monthly payments.
man !
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ESTABLISHED 1890
SPARTANBURG HERALD
SPARTANBURG, S. C.
DAILY AND WEEKLY
Spartanburg's Oldest, Largest, and besta
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th last pnge. Entire
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Wood's Fall
eed Catalogue
just issued tells what crops
you can put in to make the
quickest grazing, or hay, to
help out the short feed crops.
Also tells about both
Vegetable trot)
Farm Seeds
that can be planted in the fall
to advantage and profit
Every Farmer, Market Grower
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copy of this catalog. ; v
It is the best and most com
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Mailed free. Write for it.
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patentability. yearr experience
Send 2-cent stamp for NEW BOOKLET,
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fft i PATENT LAWYERS. . t
,303 Seventh St., Washington, D. C.JE
Enameled Wctre and Tin Ware
We carry the most complete line of enameled ware
and tin ware to be found in Polk County.
Crockery and Glass Ware
Of this line we are most always in position to
supply your requirements.
We Are Kitchen Outfitters
If you don't believe it, bring along the coin of the
realm and let us show you even if you are "from
Missouri."
ryon Supply Co.
GEO. A. GASH, Mgr.
TRYON, N. C.
1
THE NORTH CAROLINA
State Norma and
Industrial College
Maintained by the State for the
Women of North Carolina. Five
regular Courses leading to De
grees. Special Courses for teach
ers. Free tuition to those who
agree to become teachers in the
State. Fall session begins Sep
tember 13, 1911. For catalogue
and other information address
Julius I. Foust, President,
Greensboro, N. C.
THE KORTK CAROLINA
Collep ol Agriculture and Mechanic Arts
The State's Industrial College
'Four-year courses in Agriculture;
in Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical
Full of news from the first to J Engineering; in Industrial Chemistry;
in Cotton Manufacturing and Dyeing.
Two-year courses in Mechanic Arts
and in Textile Art. One-year course
in Agriculture. These courses are
both practical and scientific. Examiyia
tions for admission are held at all
county seats on July 13.
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THE, REGISTRAR,
West Raleigh, N. C.
Southern
Railway
SCHEDULE
Schedules published as information only
- Not guaranteed.
EAST-BOUND TRAINS
No. 14. Leave Asheville 7,00 am; leave
'Trvou 9.15 a m; arrive Spartaubur 10.25
-.. a ni. '
No, lor Leave Asheville 4.10 p m; leave
Tryou 6.42 p m; arrive Spartanburg 8.00
. ..P I"- ,: ' '
i WEST-BOUND TRAINS
No. 9. Leave Spartanburg. 10.30 a m; leave
: Tryon 11.50 am; arrive Asheville 2. lo
p in." . .
No. 13. Leave Spartanburg 5. 25 p m; leave
'ryon 6.42 p m; arrive Asheville 9.15
- Subject to change witbour notice.
J. II. WOOD, District Pass. Agt.,
' ' v Asheville, N, C.
J. H. RION, Local Agent,
' Tryon, N. C. -
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