Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-04-26

he has learned to draw from the air
through legumin0us crops; and In peas.
clover and alfalfa he has found the
means. Through feeding his crops to
stock and through the purchase of
commercial fertilizers he provides, or
makes available, tie needed supplies
of potash and phosphoric acid. study
Ing carefully the needs of different
soils and crops to avoid waste In the
purchase of unnecessary ingredients.
Getting Soil Secrets.
A few years ago the department sent
out parties Of trained young men who
took samples of soils in various parts
Of the country and examined them, to
ascertain their chemical composition,
their texture and their water-holdinS
capacity. Colored maps We're made.
showing Mt glance the characteristic
types of soil in each vicinity. Knowing
the prevailing types Of soil in various
parts of the world and what they pro-
duce, the department was enabled to
make experiments. For Instance, it
was found that Connecticut soil was
like that Of Sumatra, where the cele-
brated tobacco of which we import an
nually $6,OOO.0OO is grown. Tobacco
was planted and to overcome climatic
difficulties, the tobacco was grown un-
der cheese-cloth. The Industry prom.
ises to become fixed and profitable.
Texas, South Carolina and Alabama
furnish similar examples. With soil
maps as basis the department will
incubation.
What can be done by Irrigation Is
a matter often told of in print Suf-
flee it to say that just now the govern
ment is retaining 100000 acres of
land in the Southwest, worth 5000, OOO,-
600. By the application of nitrogen,
lands which have hitherto been aban-
doned are preserved, refertilized and
made profitable. By the application OF
principles discovered by the govern.
ment's agricultural scientists
Plants Are Being Bred
to produce larger varieties and ouon.
titles. Animal breeding is also giving
us improved live stock. The scientist,
of the department say that by proper
seed selection our corn crop, worth in
the last census year $S2S,OOO,OOO. our
wheat crop. worth in 1900 over $40.
100000, and our cotton crop. worth
now one-half billion dollars can be In.
creased so per cent. Perhaps no branch
of agriculture has within the past few
years shown such marked Improvement
as cotton growing, which has been
made easier and more productive by
new methods. The elimination of the
boil weevil seems about to be accom-
plished. This Is to be done by max
ing the cotton weevil-resistant.
The Introduction of new plants is to
aid the American farmer largely. A
few years ago n man brought back
from Russia type of macaroni wheat
peculiarly adapted to the seml-arid re-
gions west of the Dakotas and Texas.
During the past year 100000 bush.
els Of this wheat We're grown ON land
which had been considered of little
value.
There stand in the grounds of the
bureau of plant industry the two par
ent trees Of the great navel orange in
dustry of the West. These trees were
brought from Brazil. and 1t is singu.
lar to find them still standing, with
the fame of California oranges extend.
Ing around the world, and the number
of trees in that State more than double
the total number in all other States
combined. The Smyrna fig industry
threatened failure until success came
through the importation of an Arabian
insect needed for fertilizing the bios
SONS. We have been importing nearly
a half million dollars worth of dates
yearly, but promising experiments in
growing the fruit are being made In
southern California and in southeast.
ern Arizona.
"The production Of several kinds of
tea in the United States is now an as.
sured fact" says Secretary Wilson;
"the profits average from $50 to $40
per acre, and experts pronounce on.
domestic product equal in flavor and
aroma to the best imported teas"
Formerly nearly all American rice
was grown in the Carolinas and
Georgia, but now 90 per cent of our
product comes from Louisiana and
Texas. Several years ago the depart
ment brought over from the Orient n
special variety, the Kiushu, peculiarly
adapted to this section, and about the
same time greatly improved methods
Of cultivation and harvesting were