The Ordway new era., 1905-05-05
the FARM AND RANGE
m,ln,,lnlno soil Fertility.

Bulletin No. ~ OF thc AsTicu'u'M
Experiment Station OF the COlorado
Agricultural College. by Prof. Wiiiam
p Headden, deals with the question,
How Can We Maintain the Fertility
OF Colorado SoilsY'
After showing by farm records IN
Colorado that the soil rapidly deterio
rates, as In other sections, witnout aru-
ncial fertilization, Professor Headden
oxnresses doubts OF the feasibility Of
profitably using potash salts or super
nhosphates and Chili.saltpetre. giving
the preference as ferliiizefs 10 pnrh
yard manure and alfalfa.
or barnyard manure he says: THE
use of BARNARD manure is pre-emi'
nently method of maintaining the fer
tility of the land, but 1t is In meas
ure a method OF increasing II by Inn
uroyIng the conditions Of the soil. also
by adding organic matter. and In our
case by increasing the supply of nitro
gen"
or the use OF alfalfa as green ma
nurc. he says
There are several considerations
which lead me to think this the best
plant which we possess for this pur-
pose.
our soils are only fairly rich in nj
trogcn. and an addition of this element
from time TO time Is very advisable.
Alfalfa is an energetic gatherer OF this
substance, largely from the ntmos-
pheTe, the young alfalfa shoots being
relatively very rich in this element.
There are but few plants. even among
the legumcs. by means OF which we
can add nitrogen TO the TO the soil SO
cheaply as by means OF alfalfa.
Alfalfa Is not only an cncreuc
gathercr of nitrogen from the atmos-
phere. but II is also an energetic gath
erer OF other plant food from the soil.
so much so that ton Of alfalfa hay
made from plants cut In May before
and blossom buds had appeared. con
tanned about sixty pounds Of potash.
equivalent to III pounds OF the pure
sulphate OF potash. and whose value
would be $500 at the price prevailing
| last year. while the nitrogen In the
same would be worth $3.50. nearly"
The bulletin goes on to discuss the
effects of alfalfa culture. giving the re-
suits of experiments. and adds:
Some other facts at which we have
arrived are OF interest In this conncc-
I tion. /. G.. the actual manurial value Of
the stubble. On an acre of alfalfa
ldh'n 10 tue hfpNN VI hlA lHtNfN II -
worth. estimated In the same manner
/ that we have estimated the manurial
value of she hay. not far from $1,000 per
acre. while the roots below the depth
of six inches possess a value OF $1,000.
or the stubhlc and roots together have
a value OF about $4,000 per a ere. IL
may be n rather difficult task to turn
under q growing crop OF alfalfa in mid.
die or lOto spring. but It is also din.
cult TO correctly estimate the great
manurial value OF the excellent mater
ial thus added TO the soil; Il is Ger
tainly very much In excess OF the fig.
ures given above.
"There is still another respect In
which alfalfa is probably our best crop
TO use as means Of benciiting the soil.
II has been intimatcd. though not cx.
plicitly stated. that our soils are often
very firm at shallow depths. 20 much
so that II IL very probable that
scarcely any cultivated plant may be
/ able 10 reach the greatest depth to
which II can and would feed under or.
dinarily favorable conditions. 4 good
stand of alfalfa. say three years old.
will probably have 500. 900 plants TO
the acre, or more than ten plants to the
square foot. every one OF which pcuc-
tfates the soil to n depth much greater
than the usual feeding depth of such
plants ms potatoes. bcets, wheat. etc.
They not only In this way open up the
soil TO the attack OF less vigorous
roots. but I'LL these channels with
supply OF plant food. accompanied by
mass OF organic matter that by It's de.
cay may bring sim morc2 plant food
into available form.
HHHNnN.
This subject Of preserving and even
OF Increasing the fertility OF our soils
cannot be too strongly urged Apon the
attention OF our agricultural popula.
ton"