The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-12
ANALYzING THE SOIL.
METHOD BY WHICH FARMER CAN
Do THIS HIMSELF.

DO THIS HIMSELF.
Mr.. McCandIess' Letter-Farmer Can
Tell Whether His Soil Needs Lime,
Ph0sphoric Acid, Potash or Nitro
gen as Does the Chemist.
From the State Agricultural Depart
ment Bulletin: Referring to the state
ment in my last letter, that if any one
element in a soil essential to plant
growth be lacking in an available form,
then that soil cannot produce a good
crop, no other essential elements. You
naturally exclaim then, why not have
a chemist analyze the soil, and tell the
farmer what element or elements are
lacking in his soil and what are album
dant, so that he will know how to fer
tiliZe-whether he ought to apply acid
phosphate. or kainit, or cotton seed
meal or lime, one or all, to his land.
so as to get the best results and at
the same time use the wisest economy
!, in the purchase and application of fer
tilizers. Yes, this is a very natural
idea. and it was at one time. in the
earlier days of agricultural science,
thought that by means of a chemical
analysis of the soil, that the key had
been found by means of which we could
unlock the secrets of nature, and solve
all the problems of practical agricul-
ture. 1t was found, however. on trial.
that this idea, so beautiful in theory,
did not work we'll in practice. 1t was
! discovered, for instance. that a soil
| which was producing poor crops con-
tanned one-tenth of one per cent of
phosphoric acid, or, calculating to
/ depth of nine inches, about three thou
sand pounds of phosphoric acid per
acre and yet this soil was in need of
phosphoric acid. because when acid
phosphate was used on 1t as manure
1t responded with largely increased
yields. Evidently the prosphoric acid
in this soil, although abundant in guam
tity, 5000 pounds per acre, was not in
a condition available to the plant, so
that it could be absorbed by the roots
Elements Soluble in Acids Not Al
ways Available.
Still when the chemist came to treat
this soil with his strong chemicals ne
would dissolve the phosphates in it
readily. Thus it would happen that
chemist analysing a soil and finding
in it, say 5000 pounds of phosphoric
acid, 5000 pounds of potash, and 1900
| pounds of nitrogen per acre, and know
| ing nothing else about the soil, ex-
cept the results of his analysis, would
| report that the soil contained ample
| plant food for producing good crops,
and was a good soil, not in need of
| fertilizers, when, as a matter of fact
the soil might be so poor as hardly to
"sprout peas" After many trials and
efforts to initiate the action of ma
| ture in the laboratory, the conclusion
was reached that it was not possible
! to tell by chemical analysis. in the
case of cultivated soils, whether the
| soil was fertile one or not. or what
| particular elements should be added
to 1t for the production of full crops.
| Analyses show the Ultimate Re-
sources OF the Soil.
Whilst the chemical analysis is a
| failure from this standpoint, still it is
| of value from another. For instance,
| if l make an analysis of your soil and
| tell you that it contains 5000 pounds
| phosphoric acid. $500 pounds potash,
| and 1900 pounds of nitrogen, then you
| would be encouraged to go ahead and
make this plant food more available by
| judicious cultivation and treatment
such as lining, the turning under of
| green crops, etc, feeling assured that
| in the end you could bring that soil up
| to a point where it would yield boun-
| tifully. But If as the result of my
| analysis l should tell you that the soil
| only contained $50 pounds of phospho-
| ric acid and 200 pounds of potash per
acre. why then you would know that
| the best thing you could do with that
| land would be to abandon it or give it
away, and not waste further time and
labor on it, There is, however, a prac-
/ teal method by which you can analyze
your soil for yourself far better than
any chemist can do it for you, and by
means of which you can tell for your
self whether your soil needs lime,
phosphoric acid, potash or nitrogen,
one or all. That method is as follows:
Method by Which the Farmer May
Analytic His own Soil.
First, select a piece of ground as
level as possible. so that rain may
not wash the fertilizer from one point
into an adjoining plot. Secondly, for
the purpose Of the experiment mark
off ten plots, each one just one-tenth
of an acre in area. If convenient
make the plots long and narrow, say
1856 feet long by 80 feet wide; these
dimensions would enable you to have
eight long rows, four feet apart. in
each plot. Any other shape of plot
will answer only be careful to lay
off the plots so that they shall each
contain one-tenth of an acre. or 1855
square feet. Separate the plots
/ from each other by paths, at
least three feet wide so that
the effect Of fertilizer in one plot may
not be felt in an adjoining plot. II
would be well to locate these expert
mental plots on some of your poorest
land, or that which stands most badly
| in need of fertilizer. When all is
ready carefully number the plots from
| one TO ten so that you may keep
| record of the nature and amount of
| fertilizer applied on each plot. Let US