The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-09-12
Fertilizers on Rich Lands.

A subscriber sends an inquiry in re-
lation to the continuous use of fertilizers
on new rich lands, and further desires
to know if in using commercial fertiliz-
ers exclusively, the land will not finally
become impoverished of vegetable mat
Ter, etc, and further, whether if good
barn-yard manure, cotton seed and
acid phosphate are also supplied. the
land will not continue to produce an in
definite length of time. The quantity
of vegetable mater In the soil will de-
pend very much more upon the kind
of crops grown than upon the kind of
fertilizer applied to it. Ii the land is
kept constantly, or even most OF the
time, in crops that require clean Guilt
walton, it will gradually lose its supply
of humus, no matter what kind of ma
nure is applied. The quantity of veee-
table matter in the few loads of COM
post applied to an acre would never
keep up the supply of that substance.
1t must be kept up mainly by letting
the land rest from the plowshare,
which, opening the soil repeatedly,
causes the air TO enter freely and de-
composition es vegetable matter to pro-
coed rapidly There is sense. how
ever, in which the character of the fer
tilizer applied influences the supply OF
the vegetable matter in the soil. Those
fertilizers which produce the largest
crops will indirectly contribute the
largest amount of debris from those
crops to the soil The heavier the crops
of grain the larger the quantity of stub
Die left on the land, and So of other
crops The pith of the matter turns
rather upon the relative capacity of Or
binary commercial fertilizers and of
cemposts for growing large crops,
present and prospective. The supply
of vegetable matter is a factor. and an
important one, but not the only thing
involved. Commercial fertilizers orig
inally furnish to the soil phosphoric
acid, lime, ammonia, and sometimes
potash-the last two in comparative
ly small quantities. Everything else
needed by plants must be fur
nished by the soil Now, where
ordinary commercial fertilizers are ap-
piled year after year, the large crops
compared with the natural yield)
which they produce draw heavily upon
ingredients of the soil not furnished by
the fertilizer. or furnished only in small
quantity, and may temporarily exhaust
them. From this cause crops may de-
crease finally under the use of ordinary
commercial fertilizers, but in naturally
strong soils very long time would be
required to bring about this state of
things Even if the land were kept con-
stantlv in grain, and full supply of
vegetable matter thus kept up, the same
results would finally ensue- At this
point comes in the advantage of COM
posts over the ord nary commercial
fertilizer. The former supplies larger
number and greater quantities of the
elements needed by plants. Hence they
supplemented some of the substances
in which soils are deficient and prevent
their exhaustion rapidly, even when
heavy crops are grown il this psrtic
alar they have marked advanta re
over ordinary commercial fertilizers.
Whether the two manures combised
could permanently keep up the fertility
OF soil which was heavily crippled.
depends in part upon what ingredients
enter into the compost and the original
richness of the soil in mineral sub
stances. In case OF materially fertile
soil. It's Productiveuess might be pro-
longed Indefinitely by liberal applica-
tion of good composts. 1t is frequently
urged THAI good farming consists in
such management as viii produce rath-
er more than average crops from season
to season and keep the land in its origin
al productive aate-in other words. not
to let the Land run down. If growing q
continuous crop of one kind Of produce
with abundant application of feed iu
the shape of fertilizers does not accom-
plish this result, then it would not be
good policy 10 continue such crop to
che deterioration of tie soil, but a
change of crop should be grown, or the
land should be given rest. 1t is easy
to determine when the power of the sod
" failing. San Fra cisco Garoiicse,