The La Grange Journal (La Grange, Tex.), Vol. 80, No. 35, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 27, 1959 Page: 4 of 12
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HE LAGRANGE JOURNAL
CONSERVATION EDITION
LA ORANGE JOURNAL THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 1059
vhr
PINK
TWO FAYETTE COUNTY FARMERS proudly display their fine growth of legumes. At the left,
E. G. “Dude” Heinsohn who farms four miles east of La Grange between the Bluff and Mullins Prai-
rie shows off his winter peas while hi the photo at right W. L. Schumann who farms southwest of
Oehler Store at Freyburg is looking at roots of his Hubam clover. Mr. Schumann is a dairyman and
A&M College graduate.
Winter Legumes Improve Soil Condition
CROP RESIDUE MANAGEMENT—Crop residue of combine
anllo, shredded and worked Into the surface of the soil la shown in
the photo above taken near Victoria. Residue protects the land dur-
iag Lot summer months from the intense heat and from summer
asdktftorms. It also adds organic matter to the soil.
• (USDA-SCS Photo.)
By CLARENCE A. MATULA
Soil Conservation Service
The major purpose of winter
legumes is to protect the soil and
improve soil condition. Deep le-
gume root penetration Improves
soil structure making heavy
black clay soils more crumbly
and permitting more air to cir-
culate between clay soil parti-
cles.
All the future dead and de-
cayed legume roots provide more
water and air space in the soil. In
addition, the small nodules on
legumes contain bacteria which
have the ability to fix nitrogen
from the air. This nitrogen can
be used by future crops. Legumes
also provide a cover for soil pro-
tection during critical wir+er
rains.
Thus hubam clover if allowed
for the land Sake's, Don't burn your Crop Residues
By BAKER DAVIS
Ball Conservation Service
Don’t burn that maize stubble
m corn aftermath. Shred and
■nacre it on the surface.
This material cap contain On
mrnCh as 00 pounds of Nitrogen,
rou'*“
Dtential Iw-
El
Sam extreme heat'and will help
protect th+ surfifce from
protect the soil
arand \
Tnia is nature’s way of protecting
the soil.
The residue will decay faster
if it is left on the surface than if
turned under. Sunlight, air and
tain will break down the residue
faster on top of the soil and the
soil organisms will come up and
fftrk on the underside of the llt-
........
If you feel that bedding is
necessary, another alternative is
to shred, bed and re-bed imme-
diately. This will leave much of
the residue on surface and a
seedbed for next spring is pre-
When planting time comes,
pared.
knock the top off of the bed and
plant at the same time. Keep as
possible and your soil will not
much cover on the surface as
ciust as much. Remember that
almost half the feitiliMr you put
out this year is. tte Residue so
save it tor next year’s orop and
save your tractor too.
'<»■*, *•-
SOIL and WATER ARE OUR PRECIOUS
RESOURCES. WE JOIN WITH OTHERS
IN URGING THE FARMERS OF FAY-
ETTE COUNTY TO CONSERVE IT.
PLYMOUTH—DODGE—DESOTO
DODGE “Fewer-Giant” TRUCKS
Service Guaranteed toy Expert Technicians
DEPENDABLE USED CAR8
Made Seat Cavan and Upholstering
Wrecker Service — Wreck Repelriag — Body * Fc
Meiners Motor Company
to mature on heavy blackland in
the late spring will improve your
soil for more than several plow-
Productivity Hinges
on Good Soil
Management
By Dolman A. Blankenship
Soil Conservation Service
Soil management is the effici-
ent production of high quality
crops over a long period of time
coupled with maintenance of
high productivity or continued
improvement of soil productivi-
ty. The requirements of a good
productive soil is a good combi-
nation of moisture and air, and
an abundance and good balance
of plant nutrients. This problem
is not confined to Fayette Soil
Conservation District soils alone
but according to Dr. F. W. Par-
ker, Soils Authority in research
with the U. S. Department of Ag-
riculture, this is one of the major
problems confronting all soils in
the nation.
Soil structure is the key to the
air-moisture relationship in soils.
Soil-air-naoisture relationship has
a very definite influence on the
amount and rate of use that can
be made of plant nutrients even
when they ere present in abun-
dance. A large percent of the
toils in the district have been un-
der the plow or have been rather
extensively grazed for a long pe-
riod of time. Typical clay and
clay loam soils in the Fayette
Soil Conservation District should
weigh approximately 89 pounds
per cubic foot when in good soil-
moisture-air relationship. Analy-
sis made by technicians of the
Soil Conservation Service on
many of these soils in this soil
conservation district indicate
that they vary tn weight per cu-
bic foot from 87 pounds to 130
pounds. It ia quite obvious that
if you compress 45 pounds more
soil into each cubic foot of your
land that you have cut down con-
siderably on the amount of air
and moisture which that soil can
handle. It is easy to visualize
that when this condition exists in
land that the original structure
in his soil is quite different from
that soil in good physical condi-
tion. Insufficient air is present to
carry on proper oxidation for
good chemical processes neces-
sary in a highly productive soil.
Insufficient air is present for
plant roots to breathe and this
process is just, as essential to
healthy plants as it is to animals.
This poor structural condition in
most cases is associated with the
loss of from 25 to 50 per cent or
more of the soil organic matter.
In order to alleviate this con-
dition then one of the treatments
necessary would be to use some-
thing which would restore as
much of the lacking organic mat-
ter as possible. This can be done
very effectively with sod crops
that have deep root development
and with green manure and co-
ver crops. One of the best and
most efficient methods used by
cooperators of the Fayette Soil
Conservation District has been
oats seeded in 16” rows over
seeded with Hubam clover. Oats
seeded in rows less than 16” a-
part will shade out the clover
and not allow it to make its max-
imum growth. Deep rooted sod
grasses will also do a good job
of improving ,this poor condition
but a longer time Is required in
this type of treatment. The mini-
mum amount of plowing is used
with these crops, root systems
are sufficiently extensive to me-
chanically Improve soil porosity
and large quantities of organic
residues of good quality are re-
turned to the soil to improve
these soils in accordance with na-
tural soil proccsaes. Soils should
•be left in throe sod crops tor a
minimum of three years to oth-
ings which only tend to destroy
soil structure and speed up soil
deterioration.
Hubam clover also can be
grown with good results in most
mixed sandy loam soils provid-
ed that an adequate lime appli-
cation is made H soils and analy-
ses indicate lime is needed.
Yellow blossom clover is used
in blackland also; however, its
root penetration and soil treat-
ment is not the quality of hubam
clover. This is primarily because
yellow blossom is a short-lived
legume. It is often used in sandy
loam soils with good results.
In mixed sandy loam soils and
sandy soils, winter legumes such
as Austrian or Dixie Wonder peas
and Common or Willamet Vetch
will improve the soil through a
good root system plus a heavy
residue. The roots and residue,
after decay, tend to give mixed
soils and sandy soils more water
storing ability. The residues left
near the top of the soil will re-
duce raindrop splash and thus
keep soil erosion to a minimum.
Regardless of what your soil
type is, you can improve your
soil Condition and soil structure
and increase your soil produc-
BRENHAM PRODUCTION
ASSOCIATION
CREDIT
plying lacking nutrients to these
soils. Also on soils that generally
have a low nutrient level ferti-
lizers play an important role.
They feed these soil Improving
crops with a balanced nutrient
level and in sufficient quantities
to allow them to make .their max-
imum amount'Of top and root
growth thereby giving them the
ability to mote effectively and
efficiently oorrect this balance of
soil-moisture-air nutrients in tike
land.
WITH OFFICES IN
BRENHAM - LA GRANGE - SEALY
This year marks the 25th Anniversary for the Brenham Pro-
duction Credit Association; the completion of 25 years of sound and
beneficial credit service to Agriculture.
All of the capital stock of this association is owned toy 515 s
farm families. The association made loans of 2ft million dollars to
members the past year for cars, trucks, tractors, feed, livestock
purchases, fuel, brush clearing, soil building etc. In fact, loans are
made for any agricultural purposes based on the production Ineome
from the operation. The association’s business is a short term agri-
cultural credit service especially suited to fit the needs of farmers,
dairymen and lhrestoekmon. -
v
Owned & Operated by Farmers—for Farmers
Sound Credit for Better Farm Living
5ALIF
"MIX--
PL
W. B. LOESSIN, Field Bop.
LA GBANGE, TEXAS
1
tivity by planting winter le-
gumes. This will provide cover,
conserve your soil, and assist in
conserving some of that moisture
that is needed during critically
dry periods.
If you have never planted a
winter legume ask your neigh-
bor who has. He can tell you a-
bout the benefits of legumes.
To get your winter legume
program off to a good start you
can contact your local ASC of-
fice to see if you are eligiblejbr
finanlcal assistance on winter le- *
gumes.
And if you desire'tony
cal assistance regarding
legumes, contact your local
ette Soil Conservation District
Supervisor or your local Soil
Conservation Service technician.
A SALUTE...
to the Farmers who practice
SOIL CONSERVATION
. . *. For they are the guardians of ,our greatest
heritage OUR FERTILE SOIL.
They are proving worthy of their trust by rebuilding
and maintaining the richness of our land while pro-
ducing more for a growing America.
We Are Proud Of Our Association With Them
Foramos
BIG
All n|
All Wrj
GUM
Donald I
i *
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Fuchs, Durwood L. The La Grange Journal (La Grange, Tex.), Vol. 80, No. 35, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 27, 1959, newspaper, August 27, 1959; La Grange, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth998945/m1/4/: accessed June 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Fayette Public Library, Museum and Archives.