. Florists' review [microform]. Floriculture. Afbil 14, 1921 The Florists^ Review 27 [iM^y^iyii}y{iEJmtity}iiy}iu^iui;i'LaMi*yji}yi^ WHY SOILS ARE SICK SOIL AND PLANT LIFE. What We Are Learning About Plants. In my paper read at the recent meet- ing of the Illinois State Florists, pub- lished in The Review March 10, I point- ed out the more important principles underlying the use of fertilizers. Com- mercial fertilizers, when applied to soils, often show a direct effect on the growth of plants and it is unquestion- ably true that there is a direct relation between plant growth and soil fertilit
. Florists' review [microform]. Floriculture. Afbil 14, 1921 The Florists^ Review 27 [iM^y^iyii}y{iEJmtity}iiy}iu^iui;i'LaMi*yji}yi^ WHY SOILS ARE SICK SOIL AND PLANT LIFE. What We Are Learning About Plants. In my paper read at the recent meet- ing of the Illinois State Florists, pub- lished in The Review March 10, I point- ed out the more important principles underlying the use of fertilizers. Com- mercial fertilizers, when applied to soils, often show a direct effect on the growth of plants and it is unquestion- ably true that there is a direct relation between plant growth and soil fertility as measured by plant food materials. However, plant growth and, hence, pro- duction, are not dependent entirely • upon the chemical composition of soils. Other factors are involved and these often come noticeably into play. In my recent paper I emphasized the fact that it is not only necessary to have present, in the soil, certain chem- ical substances in minimum quantities, but that these substances must be in available form. I pointed out also the importance of natural manures. By nat- ural manures I mean not only the usual stable manures, but include in that term all forms of plant material such as cover crops plowed under and also all residues of dead vegetation. Manures furnish not only an ideal physical substratum for plant growth, but they contain also food materials, especially nitrogen, in quantity. This nitrogen, however, is largely in an un- available form; that is, in a form that cannot be used directly by plants. The nitrogen in manures must be changed from its organic, unavailable form into an available form. Bacteria Busy Workers. This change is brought about by means of small living organisms known as bacteria. These forms live in the soil. There are frequently from 30,000,- 000 to 100,000,000 of them in one gram of soil. This little army of workers is constantly at work transforming the or- ganic materials into other forms and, curiously enough, there is in
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecad, booksubjectfloriculture, bookyear1912
