PLANT FOOD ELEMENTS.

Lake County Press, Issue 2390, 24 August 1911, Page 2

PLANT FOOD ELEMENTS.

There are 10 essential elements of Dlant food. Five of these are provided by nature in abundance, viz., carbon and oxygen, secured by the growing plant directly from the air. hydrogen from water absorbed by the earth, iron and sulphur supplied by ,: soil The remaining five elements are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. The supply and liberation of these live constitute the foundation of permanent agriculture ,on all cultivatable* soils in humid sections. Nitrogen exists in the air in absolutely inexhaustible amount, and for general farming can be secured from air most economically by the growing the legume crops. If those crops are ploughed under, nitrogen is thus increased, and additional organic matter supplied, which, as it decays in the soil, helps to liberate or make available the other four important elements. Much of our depleted lands remain unproductive because of the practical exhaustion of the soil supply of nirogen and organic matter. A good dairy sire is always desired. The Uolsiein is a good forager, and capital doer in poor country. Time and manure are two things commonly much undervalued. No one need ic:\r that his mental or physical activity will suffer on the farm. A little soot spread over the soil before onion seed is sown, will prove beneficial. Fruit, to the value of nearly £lO, 000,000 sterling, is consumed in England every year. Hay made from oats when in the milk stage makes an' excellent feed for dairy cattle. When horses knaw the bark of trees or cat leaves it is because they crave grass and cannot get it. Lkush out the heels of a horse at night: if dirt is allowed to cake, scratches and greasy heel may result. A cow may not know anything about the theory of dairying, but most cows have got the practice down fairly line. The average life of a good Holstein cow is from 16 to -- years, and the majority will breed regularly until 18 years old. It it a false economy to breed from to poor cows; better sell three of hem and buy one good animal with the proceeds. It is not enough to know that a cow gives a pailful of milk when she is fresh ; we want to know what she produces in a year. The exercise of common sense is lied for in dairying, as it is in evv other department of the business f the producer.