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Show I believe more Injury has been done clay soils by plowing too deep than by all tbe cropping yet done In the country. One fact worthy of our at teutlon Is thst In the cultivation of clay tolls we must keep the bumus or organic matter as close as possible to tbe top of tbe soil until the physical condition or tbo soil la such that tbe air may have acceas to tbe soli aa deep as tbe organic matter la turned under. Vegetable matter, when ei posed to the action of the air, will soon decompose decom-pose Into carbon or vegetable mold and carbonic acid. Large quantities of vegetable mold and carbonic acid make tbe soil plow up light, loamy and free from clods. On tbo other band. If this organic matter Is plowed under deep, tbe air cannot reach It In the saturated, wet soli, and the decomposition decom-position goes on slowly, and tbo product prod-uct will be widely different Under such conditions tbo nitrifying bacteria cannot perform tbelr work. When tbo air can have free action through tbo soil, tbo clods will deconv pose Into carbonic acid, which will liberate tbo plant food In tbe soli and provide tbo growing plants with nourishment. nour-ishment. When It Is desired to deepen tbe i cultivation of clay soils, the work should be gradual and there must be a thorough Intermixing of the soil with vegetable matter as fast as It Is brought up from below. As a general rule It will be better to apply fresh manure to the clay soils, for tbe reason that fresh manure mixed with tbe soli goes through a process of fermentation which not only Increases tbe availability of Us fertilizing elements, but also assists i In rendering soluble the portions of hitherto Insoluble constituents of the On a large proportion of clay soils ' there will be more benefits from the j manure when' It Is applied aa a top i dressing to tbe grass lands. In this way we grow more manure to Incorporate Incor-porate with tbe soli when It Is plowed. After a clay soil baa been Improved by underdrainage, tillage, and fir tlllxatlon so that It will grow good crops of clover. It Is an easy matter 1 lo adopt a rotation of crops In con-! nectlon with live stock feeding that will make sufficient manure to return to the soil to maintain It In a high state of fertility. MANAGEMENT OF THE' CLAY SOILS Unless Conditions Are Very Fa vorable Fertility Remains Quite Unavailable. (lly W. MILTON K KIXT.) The average clay soil possesses an abundant supply of natural fertility, but unless conditions are very favorable favor-able this fertility remains In an unavailable un-available condition. In the management of clay soils the practical point that wo need to keep In mind Is tbe fact tbat we must modify mod-ify conditions so tbat tbls locked up fertility may become available for the growing crops. These stored up elements In tbo soli are to bo regarded aa so much potential poten-tial energy, which by our methods of cultivation and soli management, may be converted Into active energy. U'e must th erf ore seek to adopt such methods as will conserve and preservo this stored up energy, or fertility, fer-tility, except such as Is necessary to produce crops from year to year. Clay soils must be properly drained before they can be brought under a profitable system of cultivation. With-our With-our attempting to name all of the advantages ad-vantages of thorough drainage on clay soils, by taking away the water from under the surface and giving the air and uiolsture an opportunity to separate sep-arate tbe soli particles permits a better bet-ter growth of roots. Drainage also preventa the washing of the surface, and assists lo conserving con-serving available fertility. Its Influence Influ-ence on the temperature of the soil, especially In the spring. Is of particular particu-lar Importance, as It lengthens the growing season, and makes It possible possi-ble (or us to begin work earlier In the spritig. and to perform tbe work la a more thorough manner during tbe whole of the growing season. It Is linposnlble to cultivate a soil satu-rstd satu-rstd with water. In addition to these direct benefits there are a number of indirect ways In which the soil Is Improved by drainage, drain-age, such as tbe Influence of higher temperature of the bacterial and chemical changes going on In the soils There ar bacterial processes that play an Important part in this braryh of natural economy, and we must so shspe our methods of cultivation cultiva-tion and management as to get the most benefit from these processes. These clay soils, which are the most benefited by a thorough system of tile drainage, are the most fertile soils In the country, and tbey wUI therefore warrant the largest expenditure la Improvement Im-provement and development While not every farmer Is able to put la a complete system of Ule drainage drain-age tbe first year, he can so plaa kis work that what be la able to do from time to time will fit Into aad form a pert of a permanent system and not bo a baphaxard, disconnected work. i |