Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-04-29
No Practical Advantage in the Analysis
Of Soils.

When young farmers first begin TO wake
up to the importance of maintaining the
fertility of the ground they cultivate they
think if they only had knowledge sufficient
to enable them to analyze the soils they
could readily determine what elements are
lacking, which could be readily supplied
By this means poor soil could be rem
dered productive at trif1ing expense. But
long experience has shown that soil analy-
sis fails to throw light upon the mechani-
cal or physical conditions which have a
most important bearing upon crops and
the growth of every kind of plants.
4 writer in the Journal Of Chemistry
states that he entered upon the work ten
years ago with much enthusiasm, and ex-
pected to be unerringly guided in his farm
operations by the results attained. I" 1t was
found that while we had no difficulty in
learning the exact ingredients of our soils,
we could not ascertain IN what
states of combination they existed.
Many soils examined were found to be
quite similar in chemical composition, but
they differed widely in their productive
powers; and also soils which were found
to contain in rich abundance all the ele-
mcnts of plant nutrition, did not grow
crops as we had reason to expect" Sim
pie analysis of the soil, without taking
into account the nature of subsoilS, lOca-
ton, mechanical conditions ETC., is not to
be relied upon as a certain guide in the
management of lands. Nevertheless,
chemistry, directly and indirectly, affords
great aid in. soil cultivation, and in some
cases soil analysis may be valuable. For
instance, if lime or potash be wanting in
soils, 1t will inform us of the fact, and we
can supply these important substances
with great benefit. A single analysis of
the soil Of wheat or potato field may
show the absence of some one of the ele-
ments of food upon which the plant
depends, and if it were not sup
piled the crop would be a fail
ure. Soils come from the rocks, and
their character depends upon the ma
ture of the rocks from which they have
resulted. Some are rich in potash, others
in lime; and soil rich in one or the other
Of these ingredients is not benefited by
their application. Thus, analysis teaches
us how to prevent loss in two ways-loss
of crops, by supplying needed plant food,
and loss in using unnecessary manure upon
lands where it exists in abundance. 1t
also teaches US that certain lands are nat
urally barren and cannot be reclaimed
with profit, and that others have soluble
salts in such large proportions that they
cannot grow crops. Yet, after all the ex-
pense incident to the analysis of certain
soils, the result is wholly unsatisfactory to
the requirements of the practical farmer
or gardener. There are large number of
enigmas in soil cultivation which chemis-
try has thus far failed to explain. 1t is
known, for instance, that superphosphate
greatly benefits turnip field, and yet
analysis of the plant reveals the fact that
but little phosphoric acid enters the plant;
and, also, it is probable that potash and
bination in soils as not to be readily
detected by chemical tests, as we
find that potatoes, which require
much potash, will sometimes grow
upon soils in which we fail to detect
this agent. Careful experiment and OBJ
ScrvatiOn have led us to conclude that less
practical or positive knowledge is gained
by analysis of soils than many suppose.
One of the most successful wheat growers
in the State of New York collected a box
full of soil by taking handful here and
there from field on which he was ac-
customed to harvest forty bushels of clean
wheat per acre, and he sent the soil to the
city of Albany with the request that the
Agricultural Chemist would analyZe the
sample with special reference to the pro-
ductiveness Of that soil for wheat. In due
time the analysis was made with scientific
accuracy and care, the result of which
was reported to the farmer To his sur
prise, the chemist assured him that the soil
of that field might be brought into con-
dition to produce fair crop of wheat,
but as he found it he stated that certain
elements were lacking which were essential
to the production of this kind of grain
". 7. Uef0Id.