The Waste Products of Agriculture- Their Utilization as Humus

About the Book One of the main features of crop production at the present day is waste. Except in the Far East, where the large indigenous population has to be fed from the produce of the country-side, little is being done to utilize completely the by-products of the farm in maintaining the fertility of the soil. The ever-growing supplies of agricultural produce, needed by industry and trade, have been provided either by taking up new land or by the purchase of artificial manures. Both these methods are uneconomic. The exploitation of virgin soil is a form of plunder. Any expenditure on fertilizers which can be avoided raises the cost of production, and therefore reduces the margin of profit. It needs no argument to urge that, in maintaining the fertility of the soil, the most careful attention should be paid to the utilization of the waste products of agriculture itself before any demands are made on capital - natural or acquired.

About the Author Sir Albert Howard was a principal figure in the early organic movement. He studied Natural Sciences and Agriculture at University of Cambridge. Howard was Director of the Institute of Plant Industry, Indore, and agricultural adviser to states in Central India and Rajputana. He is the author of many books on Agriculture, including An Agricultural Testament and The Soil and Health: A Study of Organic Agriculture, also published by Dev.

Preface One of main features crop production present day waste. Except in the where the large indigenous population has fed from produce of the country-side, little being done to utilize completely products the farm maintaining the fertility the soil. The ever-growing supplies of agricultural produce, needed industry and have provided taking land purchase of artificial manures. Both these methods uneconomic. The exploitation virgin soil of plunder. Any expenditure which can be avoided raises production, therefore reduces margin profit. needs argument urge maintaining the fertility the soil, attention should be paid the utilization the waste products agriculture itself before any demands are made on capital natural acquired.

For last twenty-six years, the senior author has engaged the study crop production in India and devising means by which produce of soil could increased by methods within resources of small holder. investigations fell into two divisions: (1) improvement the variety; and the cultivation of the new types. In the of replacing the indigenous crops of India by yielding varieties, was soon realized that the possibilities in plant breeding could only achieved when the in which improved types are grown provided with an adequate supply of organic matter in the condition. Improved varieties themselves could be relied on to give increased yield in neighbourhood of per cent. varieties plus better conditions were found to produce increment up hundred per cent or even.

Steps were therefore taken: (1) to study conversion of all forms vegetable and animal wastes into organic (humus) suitable or needs the growing crop; and (2) to work out simple process by the cultivator could prepare adequate supply of material the by-products his holding. In other words he has shown how become chemical manufacturer.

Introduction The maintenance of the fertility of the soil is the first condition of any permanent system of agriculture. In the ordinary processes of crop production, fertility is steadily lost; its continuous restoration by means of manuring and soil management is therefore imperative.

In considering how the ideal method of manuring and of soil management can be devised, the first step is to bring under review the various systems of agriculture which so far have been evolved. These fall for the most part into two main groups: (1) The methods of the Occident to which a large amount of scientific atention has been devoted during the last fifty years; and (2) The practices of the Orient which have been almost unaffected by western science. The systems of agriculture of the Occident and of the Orient will now be briefly considered with a view of extracting from each ideas and results which can be utilized in the evolution of the ideal method of maintaining and increasing the fertility of the soil.

The Agricultural Systems of the Occident

The most striking characteristic of the agriculture of the west is the comparatively large size of the holding. Large farms are the rule, small holdings are the exception.?

The large farms of the west are for the most part engaged in the production of food and a few raw materials like wool for the urban populations of the world, which are mainly concerned with manufacture and trade. To produce these vast supplies, and at the same time to place them on the markets at low rates, practically all the unoccupied temperate regions of the world, which In the general organization of agriculture, Europe stands mid-way between the east and the west and provides, as it were, the connecting link between these two methods of farming. The growth of allotments for the production of vegetables in the neighborhood of urban areas is a comparatively recent phenomenon and only affects a small area.

**Contents and Sample Pages**