The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-13
Crop Yields.

r. S. Scovell, in an address to the Jas
per county, Illinois, farmers, said:
There are but few if any farmers sat
isfed with their crop yields upon the up
lands in the county. In early days these
produced abundantly, but by continued
cropping without any return to the land
of the plant elements consumed they have
lost much of their vitality and we are
now feeling the effects of such a course
of husbandry. The soil elements are want
ing to produce paying crops. These must
be known and applied. This new condition
must be recognized and efforts put forth
to restore their original fertility, if farm
ing is to be a paying investment. To Sc
cure this the farmers must pay q great
deal of attention to plant 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 the farmer. The elements in the soil
the plant feeds upon are potash, phospho-
rie acid and nitrogen. The soil is rich
when the plant can get these elements in
sufficient quantity, therefore every crop
raised draws largely from these elements,
and must be replaced by natural or artl-
fetal fertilizers for profitable producing
purposes. But various crops draw upon
these elements in different proportions,
and one element may be exhausted while
the others remain, but in less quantity.
To determine how much a resort to exper-
Iments is necessary, the farmer must get
a chemical analysis Of the various food
plants raised upon the farm in which case
he can determine how much of each ele-
ment has been taken from the soil and
thus replace them with but little difficulty.
Experiments are necessary, however, to
determine whether the soil does not con-
tain these elements in the right proper
ton, yet in an insoluble condition, so that
the plant roots cannot feed upon them
1t Is often tho case that different parts
of farm are in this condition and are
condemned as poor and worthless, when
in fact they are rich in plant food only
the plant elements are SO combined with
other elements that the plant cannot an
pIopriate them as food. When such con-
dltlons exist the soil can be made produc.
tive in various ways. By good drainage
which will allow the air to penetrate the
soil and assist to decompose it. Land plas-
ter will iiberate the potash. Lime and
common salt will improve the condition of
the soil. Rotation Of crops has great in
fiuence in making the plant food availa BILE
Good tillage Is another method. Still an
other is the raising of Cover and plowine
it under.
In conclusion, let me say that my ex-
perence in farming so far, is good drain
age, good preparation of the SOIL good till
age and a judicious rotation of crops. the
raising and blowing under OF clover and
other leguminous crops, and an intelligent
saving and using barnyard manure. This
is far more economical than depending en-
tirely upon commercial fertilizers, which
are costly and not entirely satisfactory be-
cause of insufficient knowledge and ex
perience in their application. II we neg
lect tie above we must resort to the fer
tillzers or fail in producing paying crops.