The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-24
On the Importance of Maintain
ing an Equilibrium of Fer
tiIity of Soils.


In a really good fertile soil nature has
stored up, according to Prof. l. P. Rob
erts, 1900 pounds of phosphoric acid, 5000
pounds of potash and 1900 pounds of nj
trogen, in the surface foot Of single acre.
Enough to all appearances to enable one
to harvest 1000 crops without actually ex-
hausting the soil. On the other hand we
find from consultation of Prof. Hilgard' s
tables. that poor and comparatively bar
rem and sterile soil may contain $3.50
pounds of phosphoric acid. S,545 pounds Of
potash 1850 pounds of nitrogen, 2Z1o
pounds of lime and yet be useless for or
binary purposes of agriculture. This goes
to prove in unmistakable language that
the step between fel tility and sleriiity is
but short at best; hence it is the province
of good farming and should be the main
and leading object of every good farmer
10 conserve the original supply, as far as
lies in his power at all times and under
all circumstances; TO actually increase IL
at every possible opportunity, and first
obtain and then maintain as perfect a state
of equilibrium, between the more import
ant elements of fertility, as possible. Good
results may often be obtained without this
equsibTium, but best results never. Good
results are not good enough, if better can
be attained, hence we should strive for
the best. THE best is none to good
In most allFoldI well-worn soils humus is
deficient, and Is humus is the source from
which great deal of our nitrogen is OBJ
tanned, nitrogen is also conspicuous for its
absence in these soils; potash, next, being
more easily soluble than is plrosphoric
acid, 10 some extent teaches away, or is
carried off in the surface water, hence be-
comes scarce and sooner or later the sup
ply will have to be replenished; phosphoric
acid from its tendency TO revert back into
insoluble combinations, sis the last one
to go, but even this substance eventually
gets away and has to be supplied from
extraneous sources.
Old, weli-worn soils become deficient in
above named substances. and in the order
we have laid down, hence nitrogen is of
first Importance; potash next, and phos-
phoric acid last. and yet phosphates are
invariably prescribed as a remedy for all
the ills the soil is heir to. and potash and
oftentimes nitrogen are ignored. From the
porous nature of sandy soils in general
and the easy soluble condition in which
potash is usually found in such soils, rem
ders this substance scarce in all such soils,
even in their virgin state.
AS water cannot rise above the fountain
head" and "a chain can be no stronger
than the weakest link" even so the soils
that are formed by the washings or de-
tritus of such soils. The so-called alu-
walls are oftentimes lacking i'm this respect.
Aliuvials are composed largely of organic
matter, as leaves, rotted limbs of trees,
etc, hence it is that they oftentimes con-
tain an actual excess OF. nitrogen this ex-
cess Invariably operating to prevent, in
stead of assisting, best results in profitable
crop production. We oftentimes hear of
lands being ito rich for profitable crop
production" it is mistake; land never
gets too rich for profitable crop produc-
ton, il never did, ii never will. In all such
cases the equilibrium of fertility is lost;
there is lack of proportion" a loss of
balance" that must be regulated and made
good before best results can possibly be
obtained.
The sooner this fact is realized, under
stood and acted upon the sooner will the
productive capacity of hundreds of thou
sands OF. now Improbable acres be dou-
bled, trebled and even quadrupled and
the same is equally true of the very best
acres to be found in Uncle Sans vast do
main. AS long as fertility Is properly pro-
portioned, il is almost an impossiblity to
cram too much of IL into an acre of well
prepared soil We have more than dou-
bled the capacity of our land in the short
surchargng the soil with manure and fer
tilizers. but by supplying what was lack
ing. neither more nor less
We have not done yet we never expect
to get done We gave $3.50 an acre for our
land in The first place, and we don't expect
! 10 get done until each and every acre
planted shall be worth slO0, and make that
much in one year. We overran that
I amount on some of our acres last year. we
| a. IN
keep on doing it; we find il pre-eminently
satisfactory as we'll as profitable.
That this doctrine win be considered
| strange by some we have no manner of
! doubt, by others it will be doubted, and
| by still others it may be disputed. That
! there is something radically wrong with
system that Will wear out and practically
exhaust the fertility of fertile farm in
| the short space of twenty-five or fifty
years In this amount of time, We see
sandy soils worn out and abandoned; clay
soils worn out and thrown out of cultiva-
ton. and che very richest and blacklist
of prairie soils, soils that are as rich and
fertile twenty feet below the surface as
they are on top, allowed to grow up in
weeds because their cultivation in the
more valuable cultivated crops has ceased
to be profitable. Is II because the fertility
is really and truly exhausted? No: not by
any means. II has simply become too one
sided: the equilibrium of fertility is lost,
there is lack OF proportion; loss of ball
ance, without which soil, no matter
what Its chemical contents may be, can
not repay the labors OF the soil tiler as
Il could, should and wotiiia sese this ssi,sii!!=
brlum maintained or restored. The far
famed valley OF the Nile Is no more fertile
than are the aluvials OF the Mississippi,
and Its many tributaries; yet these same
alluvlals IN many instances contain an
excess Of nitrogen that offectually prohib-
It's best results being obtained, except a
due equilibrium be thought about by add
ing phosphoric arid, and. where indicated.
potash, where this - jndiclously done, as
inconiroyertahe proof Of the impregna-
bility Of our position, The annual haryests.