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D D D D D n n n Coloured covers / Couverture de couleur Covers damaged / Couverture endommag^e Covers restored and/or laminated / Couverture restaurde et/ou pellicul^e Cover title missing / Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps / Cartes g^ographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black) / Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) Coloured plates and/or illustrations / Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material / Reli§ avec d'autres documents Only edition available / Seule Edition disponible Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin / La reliure serr^e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distorsion le long de la marge int^rieure. Blank leaves added during restorations may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming / Use peut que certaines pages blanches ajout6<^s lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 4tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas ^t^ filmdes. Additional comments / Commentaires suppl^mentaires: L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'it lui a M possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exenrt- plaire qui sont peut-6tre uniques du point de vue bibli* ographique, qui peuvent nDodifler une inuige reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modificaticn dans la m^tho- de normale de filmage sont indiqu^s ci-dessous. 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Tous laa autras axamplairas originaux sont filmte an commandant par la pramiira paga qui comporta una amprainta d'imprassion ou d'iilustration at an tarminant par la darniira paga qui comporta una taila amprainta. Un das symbolaa suivants apparaTtra sur la darniira imaga da chaqua microficha, salon la caa: la symbols — ► signifio "A SUIVRE", la symbols ▼ signifia "FIN". Laa cartas, planchas. tablaaux. ate. pauvant Itra fiimis i daa taux da rMuctlon difftrants. Lorsqua is documant ast trop grand pour ttro raproduit an un saui ciichi. il ast film* i partir da I'angla supiris'ir gaucha. da gauche i droite. at da haut an bas, ««n pranant la nombra d'imagas nicassairs. Las diagrammes suivants iilustrant la m^thode. 2 3 5 6 MKROCOPV RBOIUTION TBT CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) ^ /APPLIED IIVHGE I ^f« 16S.3 East Mam Street ^£ Rochester. New York '4609 USA K^ (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone "" ^S (^16) 280 - 59B9 - foK EXHIBinOH CXBCTTLAS Ho. 27. DOMINION OF CANADA. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. EZPEBIMENTAI FABMS. DITISZON or CHEMISTBY. J. H. QRI8DALE, B. Agr., Oirtctor. FRANK T. 8HUTT, M.A., Dominion Ch«mi»t. THE FARMER AS A MANUFACTURER. BY A. T. Stvart, B.A., Assistant Chemist. Fart n. — Soils: their origin and natvrc. Fertility: its maintenance and increase. HOW SOIUI ARE FORMED. The earliest surface of the world was composed of solid rock, like granite^ which had cooled down from u mohen state. Now. these rocks are nothing more than ianumerflble small pieces of mineral cemented' together. The other type of rocktt (marble, limestone, sandstone, &c.,) were formed later. Soils are formed by the decay and crumbling of these rocks. The small pieces of mineral become separate and cover the surface. Then planit life be«ran to develop. The vegetable organic matter (humus) Tesultiug from the gradual decay of plants together witih the small j>ieces of minerals give us '^ur soils of to-day. MINERALS IN C^ILS. If a soil be sorted out and the humus separated we can actually see, br means of the microscope, the great variety of small pieces of minerals. It is upon Sesc min- erals the plants must ultimately deipend for their supply of mineral matter. The plant requires a considerable variety of mineral. matter but luckily in farm- ing it is found that of this only Phosphoric acid. Potash and Lime run short. Of course, in addition to this we must consider the supply of nitrogen in the soil, as described before. THE PHrsiCS OF BOILS. In general the constituents of soils are: — 1. Clay — The particles of wnich are extremely small; they measnre %6ooo inch. Its plasticity and adhesiveness hold the particles of Asmd and these help to form soils of good t ith. The extreme fineness serves to hold moisture and gases and solutions of plaui food. 61695—1 630.4 C212 Exp. Tarms Service Exhib. Circ. 8. Sand. Silt and Ihui— Or f -i up rock form the greater p»rt of loil. These particles, varying greatly in aize, ure much larger than those of clay. They hdp to make a soil porous and mellow. 8. ffumus.— Vegetable matter from the decay of plants. These particles can be sorted out, counted and measured. In sire they vary from I'M inch to Haooo of an inch, and the number in 1 gram of soil (an Hmotint whifh may be held on the end of a penknife) may vary from 1,000,000 to 100,000,0(X),000,000. If. the total surfaces of these small portieles be added together it will monsurc from '20 square feet to 3 acres for each pound of soil. This may seem unnecessary detail, but it must be realised that upon these con- ditions depend the whole possibilities of agriculture. In a soil suitably moist for crop growth each particle is closely surrounded by a thin film of water from which the plant must take it« living. The larger particles he.-e and there keep o?)en the soil passages so that air, water and roots can pass along. It is the variations in kinds and amounts of these particles that make all the different kinds of soil. Weights may thus vary from 30 to 110 lbs. per cubic foot and the air es>ace8 from an extremely small amount 26 or 50 per cent of the tot \1. as in well tilled soils where large crumbs are formed (good tilth). THE LIFE OF THE BOIL. The differences between soil amd subsoil lie in the predominance of roots and decayed residues of plants near the surface. Here also is more exposure to air, heat and cold, light and life. Living with and upon the decayed vegetation are myriad forms of bacteria. Their number may run to 15,000,000 in 1 gram of soil. Then there are moulcte and fungua growths and ferments; many .of these minute forms of life do a most valuadl>]e work in preparing food for farm craps. Of the utmost importance among all this low order of vegetable or animal life is the fact that certain bacte'xa are active in absorbing nitrogen from the air. These live chiefly on the roots of leguminous crops (clover, alfalfa, peas, beans, &c.) and the good farmer takes advantage of thema( to enrich the soil. There are many other beneficial agents at work, amongst which are the earth worms. When all is added t/>gether this work greatly exceeds the sum total of all human endeavour. MOVEMENT OF BOIL WATER. There are two main movements of water, up and down. After a rain there is a great rush of water downwards, with which is carried the finer particles of clay and plant food in solution. On the other hand, in dry weather water has a tendency to climb up through the small spaces and evaporate at the surface. In so doing it carries up much material which is soluble in water which sometimes deposits at the surface, and this explains why in dry regions (as in parts of Western Cianada) alkali lands are formed. In sucJi places there is not enough m\r. to wash the alkali down and away into the rivers and oceans where all such material oollects to form the salt sea. In order to grow, plants require from 200 to 1,000 times their dried weight of water. This very large amount is taken' up by the roots, e\-»porates from the leaves and totals hundreds of tone per acre each year. In the soil, w^ater may be classified as follows: — 1. That which is absorbed from air: 2. That which is suspended between parti4'lee (film water). 3. That which sinks down and runs away. Upon No. S, the plants depend for suppliesi RBGCLATINa AND CONHCRVIMO KILM WATER. 1. L«o!«ening thr turfuce allows rain to •oak in. 2. Umkir-dralns help to incrfa»e water-holding capacity of soil by keeping clay loose and porous. Likewise they carry off excess of fri'i- water which drowna the roots of crops. 3. Irrigutiob. 4. Loose surface tilth with close texture below allow water to climb up to roots- but not to the surface to evaporate. 6. Weeds are a heavy drain on aoil water supply. PLANT FOOD Ili 80IUB. A moni( It's reflection will convince one that the roots of plants cannot aaaimi- late a solid piece of soil. The root hair», which take in the food supplies, are like small paper bags. Everything entering the roots must pass through these cell walls so that it is eiear that plants can only drink in their food, which must be absorbed from its solution in water. In the soil, plant food may be said to exist in three conditions. A very little is already dissolved in water, some of it can be fairly easily dissolved and may be called RTailable and lastly there is the big reserve, practically insoluble, in the form of particles of rock and minerals and decayed plants. Nature thus holds large stores, but doles out gradually the requirements. If the available forms of plant food be drawn upon too fast we aee crops becoming lei« and less. MAINTAIN IKO FERTILITY. It is evident .!iat the farmer must exercise extreme care if he would keep his soil iu the highest condition of produotivenees. ' . ^il is the real guardian of the farmer's capital and the security is absolute. Try rt9 and tankage are the by-products of manufacture. It is a surety that the manufacturer exacts full Value from his by-producta. Why not the farmer, the manufacturer of protein, fat and carbohydrates? In order to establish a proper treatment and care of the land the crops are ^ rotated.' In this way all parts of the farm get an equal chance. This also •serves •to produce the different kinds and amounts of crops as required for feeding, allows for proper manurirg and cukivation, for altematiow of croj» with deep and shallow TOot systems, for using preceding crop residues, gathering nitrogen from the air, ■distributing farm labour, controlling weeds, &c., &c., &c. ■P'..bli«h*d by dirsction of Hon. MARTIN BURRELL, Miniatsr of Agrieulturo, Ottawa, Ont