The morning news., 1899-05-15
Importance of Maintaining an Eaui-
Iibriun of FeretiIity I'm Soils.

Ihe lnefhe-ency of chemical analysis OF
soils in determining the produetiveness
thereof has lcng been known The chem
list can analyze the soil and in so doing
can demonstrate, without the slightest
chance of a mistake, the exact mineral
content of any soil worked upon, but the
state of preparedness, the degree of avail
ability of those same mineral elements the
chemist, no matter how carefully, exact
and laoorious.y painstaking his efforts
may be, is not able 70 determine. Right
here we wish to discaim all intention OF
Understanding or undertaking the sci
ence of chemistry or the labors of the
chemist, for none realize 10 a greater ex-
tent than ourself, our utter reliance on
that exact science for the major portion
Of the reliable, trustworthy and positive
knowledge OF maintaining restoring and
OF indefinitely increasing the fertility of
our soils, that we even now possess, and
the far greater degree of knowledge we
expect, by their invaluable aid and assist
ance, TO possess on this ali important, all
absorbing subject in the very near future;
we do especially desire that our soil till
ers OF the country would minimize hand-
labor by greater expenditure of brain
labor, and depend less upon the brains ana
brain-labor of others and more upon their
own thinking qualities. Aside from chem
ical analysis, there are two ways in which
one can fest their soils and thereby find
out what the soil is deficient in, or what
is in excess
The one is by the plat system of expert,
mentation; the other by the plant test, the
which we are trying TO describe. We have
not word to say against plat experiment
tation except that il Is too slow and too
expensive for the ordinary soil tiller re-
curing as 1t does the expenditure of at
least some money for things the soil does
not actually need and requiring 10 be
Kept up for a series of years before GER
tam, definite and positive conclusions can
be arrived at, and although We realize
the fact that every farmer should be his
own experimenter we yet think the plant
test the best for the ordinary soil filler.
and the plat-test as Dre-eminentIv sl,jt
ed to experiment stations and experinent-
al farms. The plat-test being conpara
tlVely expensive, while the plant-test costs
absolutely nothing. Quite an important
uesiaeratdtn IN this era of universally pre-
vaiiing. low prices for farm products The
plant-test is Reasonable. feasible. practi
cable By the soil tiller himself. without
the aid19f the chemist, ana, in our opin-
ion, and according to OUR observation and
experience. the most speedy economical
reliable and positive plan that ever has
or ever will be devised 1t is the sirnplest
because in accordance with natures laws.
and the rules of ordinary common sense;
the most economical. because the exact
element needed may, In each Individual
case. be employed consequently there is
but little If any waste. and no actual dam
age done the crop BY applying some
thing that may already be present in ex-
cess. The. most speedy, because the lack
ing ingredient may be readily discovered
by any intelligent and observing soil tfller
during the growth of the very first crop
planted on the land, sometimes, in fact. in
time 20 double the crop (by the applica-
ton of quick-acting esrtilizers OF the right
kind the present season. Neither plat
experimentation nor the plant-test are
thoroughly and completely reliable and
conclusive in abnormal seasons, and Under
abnormal conditions the results of the
most painstaking and precise experimental
ton would be 10 a great extent nullihed
and vitiated' and conclusions deduced
therefrom erroneous. A normal growth,
under normal. conditions, is what is es-
sential in order that we may arrive at
conclusions of value Now a few words
on plant color as a soil-test. cold weather
too dry weather, and water standing
around the roots Of most cultivated crops
as well as the allowing soils to become
compacted and run together, thereby cut
ting off the supply of lfe-giving and
health-preserving oxygen from the roots
viii each and all cause the foliage to take
on a pale. sickly yellow color. but aside
from these Influences, whenever this pale,
siclSly yellow color is present,
it may be safely assumed that
nitrogen is deficient. and probably potash.
and especially so wherever there is a de-
ficieney of stalk growth. When a plant
is healthy and abundantly supplied with
plant food, the growth is luxuriant, and
the foliage of a dense. deep, dark green
Qn fact, almost bluish) color; a deficiency
of nitrogen will manifest itself by a yell
lowish green; deficiency of potash by a
pale green; and a deficiency of phosphoric
acid by a still lighter shade OF green. an
experienced eye can detect the differences
in shade of color vry readily, and more
especially as the growth of the pant is
normal, abnormalo below the normal.aud
fructiverous or inclining toward barren
ness. An excess of nitrogen evidences It.
self by an abnormal growth of stalk,
straw, vine, and woody growth generally;
and this abnormal growth is invariably at
the expense of the fruitage of the plant.
let the crop be what it may; whether po-
tatoes with ali-vine, but with no tubers.
the cereals-excess Of straw with but a
small yield OF very light grain; fruit trees
with an abnormal growth of wood and SUI
per-luxuriant foliage. but with little or
no fruit; a mammoth corn stalk, but min
us the ear; and overgrown cotton stalk.
minus the fruit; each and all these cases.
together with other similar ones that
could be cited. but which win readily oc-
cur to the mind OF every thinking farmer,
Indicate a decided deficiency OF phospho-
ric acid. and potash; which, deficiency
must be made good. 10 the extent of cor
recting or balancing the excess of nitro
gen present, before best results can be