The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-12-31

ter OF most soils Is doubtless chiefly
responsible for the fact that within he
memory Of farmers still In active bust
ness the belief was general that
very material loss OF soluble plant
food was inevitable from most soils
whenever the supply furnished WAS
much In excess OF the immediate needs
OF the crop TO be grown thereon. II
soils really leach. the lost or loachod
material OF course escapes In the
water draining through the soil. Care
ful and systematic study OF drainage
waters. both by the use Of the lyal-
motor and the tile drain during the
past fow years shows FIRST that the
actual loss OF nutriment In drainage
waters Is far less frequent than was
supposed. and second tho character OF
the waters gives definite knowledge
OF the Kind Of nutrlment carried away
by them and the conditions under
which the loss takes place. That
the danger OF loss Ia greatly exagger-
ated IL well demonstrated by my own
personal experience. For two entire
growing seasons fertile sandy loan
showed absolutely no loss Of plant food
at n depth OF three feet. that Ia. not
trace OF either phosphorie acid, nj
trogen or potash reached three feet
doep In the pcrcoiating waters. As
most plants send their roots TO great
or depths than this II In evident that
there was not only no loss from the
soil. but that all the nutrlment APP
piled, or within three feet OF tho sur
face. was accessible. The important
question now Ia; Under what conditions
does teaching occur and how can loss
from this source be prevented Il Ia
now accepted that nitrogen IL the only
one OF the three food cssontials which
Ia susceptible TO teaching TO such an
extent as 10 render It's loss OF mate
rial consequence. and this loaa Ia ex-
cluaiyely OF nitric acid. This, however.
Ia the last and Anal form OF nitrogen
and the only one actually taken up
by the crop. All other forms or sources
OF nitrogen must be deoompoBed and
nitric acid bo formed before ,lfsimi-
lation can begin. Those other forms
including all fertilizing formo' or
sources Of nitrogen except the nj
hoAtat VI NHNh iAAitAlt VI hNhA N AhN
only one Of, commercial Importance 20
tho farmef. are under no normal soil
condition acceptable 10 the teaching
/ properly. 1t therefore follows that
these forms OF manures or fertilizers
may be- used In any quantity and at
Y any time desired without danger OF
|, loss from teaching In using htablo
manure the important practical, fact Ia
thar tile manure once Incorporated
/ with the soil becomes fixed beyond the
possibility OF loss. since nitric acid
/ formation IN 30 SLOW ms 20 never OK
coed the power OF crop to utilize.
! .Nitrates. on the other hand, being
susceptible 10 teaching. should DO APP
piled only 10 meet tho Immediate de-
( mands OF the growing crop lest loss
from teaching follow. The finer the
soil particles In any given case the
greater the absorbing powor and tho
less Is the probability OF loss. This
fact explains the abaorptiye power OF
much soils. rather than.as Ia commonly
supposed. the presence OF high humus
content In such soils. AZ already init.
mated phosphoric acid and potash are
not capable OF teaching through agrl-
cultural soils under normal conditions.
This fact Is due 10 the absorptive pow
or OF soils for these substances and
their compounds. The important fact
In this connection is that the soil con-
stltuent oxertlng strongest force In
this direction Is the silica, which com
poses 10 large n part Of all soils. These
soils high IN content OF silica, OF which
sand is typical, are usually OF coarse
texture and are those usually consld.
cred as especially susceptible 20 leach
ing. II appears. however. that leach
ing OF two OF the three essentials OF
plant food Is actually prevented by the
presence OF silica or sand. a very Inn
portant practical result OF these facts
is that potash salts can be applied 80
early as 10 overcome any possible evil
effect from the presence OF chlorine on
certain crops and yet no possible loss
from teaching follow,
II. 70. stoekbrldge.
The J0nqulI.