The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-05-12
THE Fertility OF our FARMS.

urged
THE FERTILITY OF OUR FARMS.
The fifteenth OF the special articles
that are appearing IN the Ohio Farm
er from week to week is on THE Fer
tiIity of Our Farms" 1t was prepared
for that paper by Director Chas. E
Thorne Of the Ohio Experiment Sta
Ition. Wooster. o., and IS published in
the issue OF May T. Director Thorne
is one of the most eminent authorities
on this subject in the United States,
and presents. in plain and simple
manner. the great principles OF farm
fertility 1t is an article that viii in
terest every farmer in the world. for
all must depend upon the productive
power of the soil. all must know how,
to manage their soils and maintain
their fertility. The following para
graphs are taken from that article-
The soil Is composed of two classes
of materials, the one derived from the
decomposition CT the ROCKS forming
the crust Of the earth. and consisting
OF sand and claS.rhc other being the
remains of vegetation ard of animal
life The sandy beaches of lakes. and
oceans show how tee rocks. are now
being pulyerized by the waves: but. at
some time or other in the past all the
present land, surface CT the earth has
been seat bottom. TIE eE;i.gco II Eeo1-
I,,,,-- -, >,,,;,,~ .T,r,-.r,
gradual elevation of continental areas
and a corresponding depression OF
oceanic basins from time when a
shallow sea covered the entire globe.
Other forces have contributed to tae
beallins down OF the rocks, through
processes TO which we apply the term
weataer:rs while running water ana
moving ice of ancient glaciers save
transported the sands and clays result
ing from their decomposition. and re
arranged ,teaa IN places distant from
their origin.
sand and clay DO not constf-
tutc soil; they. are but the skeleton
OF the soil. ana before it can serve for,
the growth of the higher plants this
skeleton must be flied with the de-
cay;7S vegetable and animal remains
TO which We apply the term humus.
The humus CT the soil is, therefore.
the great storage battery of its ele
ments of fertility. mineral as Wen as
nitroSenous- It is in this store. chief
ly or altogether, that our crops find
their sustenance. When this store IS
exhausted they starve. and in proper
ton as. it is reduced do they suffer
hunger.
t-On the ordinary soils OF Ohio The
fire element of fertility to be exhaust
ed is phosphorus. This is because
our system Of agriculture is Sucn as
to carry this element away from the
land. either =in- the bones and nerve
tissues of-live stock which has been
grown upon it, in wheat. which has
been from the earliest history the
great cash crop OF the State: or in
milk. which is being moretand more
largely carried into our rapidly grow
ing cities. There are possibly a few
localities especially where the soil
lies on the Emestones. where this e1e-
ment IS not needed; but its cost is
so small that every farmer can afford
to test his soil by the actual apph-
cation OF his fields of some carrier of
Phosphorus, such as acid phosphate to.
steamer bone meal The quantity to-
be used must be learned by experi-
ence- 1t shows most evident effect
on the wheat crop. producing rapid
growth in the fall and early spring
and fastening the maturity of the
grain Land at the Experiment Sta.
ton which Is averaging SIS bushels
OF wheat to the acre in a 33-year rota-5
ton of potatoes. wheat and clover,
has yielded a 6-year average of ~
bushels Of wheat per acre when the