lessens the growth of the legumes.

"Decomposition of organic matter begins almost as soon as any part
of the plant ceases to live, and there is certain to come a time
when the rate of decomposition and loss exceeds the rate of fixation
and accumulation; and from that time on the organic matter and
nitrogen as well as the mineral plant foods continue to decrease in
the surface, until finally the natural barrens are developed, such
as are found in different sections of the World and in some places
even where the rainfall is sufficient for abundant crops."

"Yes, Sir," said Mr. West. "I know that is true. I have visited
Tennessee and I know there are some extensive areas there of
practically level upland which have always been considered too poor
to justify putting under cultivation, and they are called the
'Barrens'."

"I know about those barren lands, too," said Percy. "Our teacher of
soil fertility in college told us that a farm is more than a piece
of the earth's surface. He said if we only wanted to get a large
level tract of upland where the climate is mild and the rainfall
abundant and where all sorts of crops do well on good soil,
including the wonderful cotton crop which brings a hundred dollars
for a thousand pounds, while corn brings forty dollars for a hundred
bushels,--well, he said we could go to the Highland Rim of Tennessee
where, according to analyses reported in 1897 by the Tennessee
Experiment Station, the surface soil of the 'Barrens' contains
eighty-seven pounds of phosphorus and the subsoil sixty-one pounds
of phosphorus per acre, counting two million pounds of soil in each
case. He said, if we didn't like that we might go into the Great