The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-09-18
Axrurc1AI rAHuREs,


become q prevailing idea among
farmers, and the natural supply q
manure mas become Inadequate, there
has been !, resort to artificial or special
manurcs. In the use of these the
farmer must consider two things. the
need Of fer,i ling for the soil, and the
need of fertility for the plant. A soil
may be largely deficient in potash; il
to, ease what it most needs is dis.
tinc,i.c'y potash fert lizcr. Auotfes
may be poor in piospi,or.c acid, Ind
would require a supply Of that SUBJ
stance. which would need to be applied
in fertilizer in which phosphOric acid
largely predoMinatcs. And SO it APP.
pears :llat, in order to manure farm
nationally and proltably. the farmcf
must know something of the actual
needs Of each of the different fields Of
his firm that arc brought under cult.
walton. The same rule may also apply
to permanent pasturage. 1t is a lament
able fact that the pastures of New En-
gland are not maintained in that good
condition that 10 necessary to tneil
profitable use. for the r..asOn that many
farmers entirely neglect attention Ia
their pastures.
The question naturally arises how il
the farmer to learn the demands of HE
soil? Must lie have 1t analysed? No.
Such an analysis gives insufficient insor.
nation, for the reason that an analysis.
while it may give the stitutional
com, POSITION. will not determine accur-
atcly what IS available for plant use.
In order. therefore. to obtain the most
accurate information regarding the de.
mand of plants and the existing def
cicncies of the soil, the question NUT be
put to the plants themselves for IN an-
swer describing the substances that the
sol stands in greatest need of. The de-
mand of plants being very unlike in the
matter of their food. these soil tests
may serve very important secondary
purpose by indicating what crop will
best succeed in a particular soil. In
the first place. the farmer must know
the actual demands of the various kinds
Of cultivated plants, SO rs to make a
proper choice in the selection of plant
in order to determine any special do
fic;ency of plant food.
For instance. if one desired 10 learr
regarding the absence of nitrogen from
the soil, he would select plant that u
a heavy feeder OF that element; and.
having arranged his plats. if he fonnt
that where nitrogen was applied il
abundance, the resulting crop Was ne
better than where no nitrogen was APP
piled, a very natural conclusion would
be that the soil was fully supplied will
nitrogen, and its further application
would be useless. No matter how .rea,
the supply. plants assimilatc only s".t
quantity rs is necessary TO their com.
plste structure, and SO, if enough al
ready exists in the soil, its further APP.
plication would be useless. The same
rule applies in making test for otlcI
manuria! elements, but it must be re.
membered that in order to ent tie any
such tests 10 trustworthiness, plant
that requires the greatest possible
amount of the elcmen. that is being
tested for must be employed in making
the test This matter of soil-tests is
becoming of more and more impor
lance. and is receiving much attention.
Agricultural colleges, experiment
stations and even private indivim Is
are being engaged in this work. tol
several years the State of Georgia h
been encouraging this matter of sol
tests, and each year prints the result;
obtained. All that is done in Hi line
is of value to farmer.. in that ii serves
to stimulate to study and an applica.
ton of the prin "iples involved in the
tests. Although the soils vary ir
chemical compo -ition and mcchsn.
ical texture in diff rent sections. there
are certain general principles of fertli.
cation that hol'! good throughout he
whole, and for that reason each farmer
will find very much to interest and in.
struct in tie study of results of every
soil test, the report of which comes te
his notice. One thing is certain-sc
long as there is a deficiency OF table
manurss which must be supplied by
special manures, the more extended the
knowledge of soils and their require.
ment>, the more intelligent will be the
application and the more satisfactory