Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1899-03-23
Exhausted Soils.


N. S. Scovell, in an address to the
Jasper County, Illinois, farmers, said:
There are but few If any farmers
! satisfied with their crop yields upon
the uplands in the county. In early
DAYS these produced abundantly but
nv continued cropping without any re-
turn TO the land of the plant elements
consumed they have loss much OF their
vitality and we are now feeling the Ell
sects Of such a course of ~husbandry.
Tho soil clements are wanting to pro-
duce paying crops. These must be
rnown and applied. This new on-
djtion must be recognized and efforts
mt forth TO restore their original fer
tility. II farming is TO be q paying in
yestment. To secure this the farmers
must pay a great deal of attention to
D nlant food. The sources from which
plants derive their food are first, the
Atmosphere and second from the soil.
The atmospheric supply is always in
abundance. The soil supply is the one
that requires the careful attention of
xhe farmer. The elements in the soil
the plant feeds upon are potash, phos-
phoric acid and nitrogen. The soil is
rich when the plant can get these ele-
ments in sufficient quantity, therefore
Every crop raised draws largely from
these elements, and must be replaced
by natural or artificial fertilizers for
profitable producing purposes. But
various crops draw upon these ele-
nents in different proportions, and one
Element may be exhausted while the
others remain, but In less quantity. To
determine how much a resort to ex-
beriments is necessary the farmer
must get a chemical analysis of the
karious food plants raised upon the
arm In which case he can determine
bow much of each element has been
aiken from the soil and thus replace
hem with but little difficulty. Expert
pents are necessary, however, to de-
ermine whether the soil does not con-
bin these elements in the right pro-
(~ortion, yet in an insoluble condition
that the plant roots can not feed
pom them. II Is often the case that
i1erent parts OF a farm are in this
p~ndition and are condemned as poor
nd worthless, when, In fact, they are
ch in plant food. only the plant ele-
tents are SO combined with other ele-
tents that the plant cannot appro-
rate them as food. When such con-
tons exist the soil can be made pro-
nctive in various ways. By good
Fainage which will allow the air to
Fnetrate the soil and assist to decom-
pse 1t. Land plaster will liberate the
ptash. Lime and common salt will
pproye the condition of the soil. Ro-
lion OF crops has great influence in
aking the plant food available. Good
lage Is another method. Still an
ner is the raising Of clover and plow-
3 1t under.
IN conclusion. let me say that my
~perience in farming so far, is good
image, good preparation of the soil,
! % tillage and a judicious rotation
crops. the raising and blowing I'M
OF clover and other leguminous
pps, and an intelligent saving and
ng barn yard manure. This is far
re economical than depending en-
ny p 0 commercial fertilizers,
icn are costly and not entirely sat
fc'ory because Of insufficient knowl-
2 ana experience in their applica-
II we neglect the above we must
crt 10 ilhe fertilizers or fail in pro-
ing pass ing crops.
0neap Substitute for Paris Green.
DlectiOns To Paris Cream paric