pH mean?
Answer: The term pH is used
to express acidity or Alkalin
ity. The scale coven a range
from o to 14. A value of 7 is
neutral, above 7 is alkaline and
below is acid. Vinegar is an
example of add material, bak
ing soda is alkaline. The aver
age soil in fforth Carolina is
add and will have a pH between
4.5 to 0.5, the lower the pH
the more add the soil. lime is
applied to soils to make them
less add and provide condi
tions more favorable for crop
growth. Crops vary In desirable
pH for good growth, ranging
from 5.5 to 6.5.
Question: Of what importance
is organic matter in soil?
Answer: Organic matter has
several functions in the soil: (1)
It releases nitrogen upon de
composition. (2) On clay soils
it aids in making the soil more
open or porous, thus bringing
about better aeration and wa
ter absorption. 3) It serves as
a medium for bacterial activity.
(4) On sandy soils it helps to
increase the moisture holding
capacity. And (5), it increases
the ability of the soil to store
nutrients Such as calcium,
magnesium and potash.
The following editorial clas-1
sle appeared in The Hew Tort
Sun. many years ago, and Is re
printed here as part of the
Christmas reading for readers
of The Times:
We take pleasure In answer
ing at once and prominently the
communication below, express
ing at the same time our great
gratification that its faithful
author is numbered among the
friends of The Sim:
“Dear Editor:
“X am 8 years old.' Some of
my little friends say there Is no
Santa Claus. Papa says, ‘If you
see it In The Sun it’s so.’ Please
tell me the truth, is there a
Santa Claus?
‘■VIRGINIA O’HANLON
“115 West Ninety-fifth St.”
Virginia, your little friends
are wrong. They have been af
fected by the skepicism of a
skeptical age. They do not be
lieve except they see. They
think that nothing can be which
is not comprehensible by their
little minds. All minds, Vir
ginia, whether they be men’s or
children, are little. In this great
universe of ours, man Is a mere
insect, an ant, in his intellect,
as compared with the boundless
world about him, as measured by
the Intelligence capable of
grasping the whole of truth- and
knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there Is a San
ta Claus. He exists as certainly
as love and generosity and devo
tion exist, and you know that
they abound and give to your
life its highest beauty and joy.
Alas- how dreary would be the
world if there were no Santa
Claus! It would be as dreary
as if there were no Virginias.
There would be no childlike
Question: How can the soil
organic matter be increased?
Answer: This is a rather di
flcult job on- most soils in
North Carolina. Due to the high
average annual temeprature,
plant residues decompose rap
idly to part of the soil organ
ic matter. When we consider
that the -top six-inch la^er of
an average soil weighs approx
imately two million pounds, a
one-tenth per cent increase in
organic matter represents two
thousand opunds. Several times
this amount of plant material
would be required to produce
this increase. It can. readily be
seen that detectable increases
in soil organic matter will not
be obtained from adding small
amounts of plant material. The
present level of organic matter
in moat soils has been attained
over a period of year* as affect
ed by soil developments pro
cesses and cropping practices.
Turning under plant residues
such as corn stalks and straw
will help to maintain the or
Using sod
ganic matter.
wiH reduce the rate of
sition of organic
f*firnTiw t~i HfiTi nr
READY MIXED CONCRETE
chimneys on Christmas Eve to
catch Santa Claua, bat even if
they did not dm Santa Claua
coming down what would that
prove Nobody sees Santa Claps,
but there la no sign there la no
Santa Claua. The most real
things In the world ere those
that neither children nor men
can see. Did you ever see fairies
dancing on the lawn? Of course
not, but that’s not proof that
they are not there. Nobody
can conceive or imagine all the
wonders there are unseen and
unseeable In the world.
You tpar apart the baby’s
rattle and see what makes the
noise inside, but there is a veil
covering the unseen world which
not the /strongest man, nor even
the united strength of all the
strongest men that evere lived,
could tear apart. Only faith,
fancy, poetry, love, romance, can
push aside that curtain and view
the supernal beauty and glorious
beyond. Is It real? Ah, Vir
ginia, in all this world there is
nothing else real and abiding.
NO Santa Claus! Thank God!
he lives, and he lives forever, A
thousand years from now, he
will continue to live to make glad
the heart of childhood.
YOU’RE AT
YOUR BEST
WHEN YOU
LOOK YOUR
.. BEST
Stetson lints
Griffon Sinn
Local New*
Every Week Day
At 8 A. M. and
12:20 P. M.
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Oyer Station WELS
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lMi Km* ITtanton
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Tractors -Tractors
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. '
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IHH