Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-09-30
Replenishing The Soil.

farmers Tribune.
Replenishing The Soil.
Chief Of Agronomy and Chemisty
Hopkins, of the Illinois University,
issues letter on the necessity Of
replenishing the soil for agricultural
purposes. He says:
How shall the fertility Of the soil.
be maintained? We near two very
common answers to this question.
The grain farmer says we must grow
clover. The live stock farmer saws
we must put the manure back on
| the land. But neither Of these ans
wer the question.
Clover alone will not maintain the
fertility Of the soil. If all the crops
which are grown on the farm are
fed on the farm and the manure re-
turned to the land twill greatly aim
in maintaining the fertility Of the
soil. The only way by which the
live stock farmer can maintain the
fertility Of his soil by the use Of
manure is to feed not only his own
crops but his neighbor's crops also,
and then put all the manure on his
own land.
This answers the question for q
few farmers who are also extensive
cattle feeders, but it does not answer
the. question for Illinois: it does not
answer the question for America
we can not all feed our own crops
and our neighbor's crops also.
How then shall we maintain the
fertility Of Illinois soil? There is but
one answer to this question, and
this answer would have saved the.
fertility of all the soils which have
been salined in the past. Itswoulsa
IhaVe saved the soil Of Palestine, q
Hand which once foweds+with milk
and honey, but is now a barren waste.
It would have saved the soils Of
Greece and Italy, of northern Eu-
rope and Of eastern United States,
and is the only answer which will
save the soils of Illinois and this
| is the answer:
Preserve good physical conditions
and then put back upon the land
all Of the fertility which is taken off
not some Of it, not most Of it, but
fall Of it, and not only that which is
removed by the blowing, washing
or teaching of the soil.
The whole subject Of plant food
is simple one About 95 per cent
of most agricultural plants consists
of the three elements carbon, hydro
gen and oxygen which are obtain
ed from air and water. Only seven
Essential elements are furnished by
the soil and four Of these, calcium
magnesium, iron and sulphur, are
used by plants in such small amounts
and are contained in all ordinary
soils in such large amounts that they
are practically never exhausted from
!. the soil. The productive capacity
of practically all soils in good ply.
sical conditions is measured by the
available support Of the three elem.
ents, nitrogen, phosphor us and
potassium. These are the elements
which are a present in neurly all
soil in comparatively small
amounts and yet are absolutely
| required by all agricultural plants
and in very considerable quaint
| ties.
How shall the fertility of the
soil be maintained? By manning the
supply Of nitogen, phosphorus ane
J potassium and preserving good ply
steal conditions. How shall the pro
h ductive capacity Of soil be in
creased? By increasing the upply
of that element which is most
! deficient in the soil.
Thelive stock farmer understands
the value Of balanced ration il
stock feeding. Let us also bear il
mind that plants are living thing
and that balanced rations are of evel
greater importance to them than tc
. animals. Timothy hay and corn col
meal have some place in anima
4 feeding, but they do not make bes
possible balanced ration for youn,
cattle nor mich COWS, nor coul'
Il you make a balanced ration by add
ing to them excelsior straw and sa,
dust meal. Likewise plant whicl
! is starving for phosphorus is no
benefited by plowing under a Gro,
! of green rye or even by feeding j
more nitrogen or potassium, indeed
!, such treatment would tend to stil
further unbalance the soil am
1 might even produce an injurious 81
feet upon the plant as appears t
V have been the case to slight ex
5 tent in some experiments. offer til
! following simple rules for in
+ Iproving soil and feeding plants
: l. If the soil is aired or soul
: apply lime to it to make it sweet.
eI 2. 1.-THE soil is poor in nitroge
a only grow clover or some other loe
Q ueme which has the power to 81
it cure nitrogen from the air.
$ 3. If the soil is poor in potass
II ium only, apply bone meal or som
I other form Of phosphorus.
dI 4 Il the soil is poor in potass
/ ium only apply potassium chloride
OF some other form Of potassium.