Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-01-29
DRY Land FARMING
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Continued from Page ID
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food is something that must go on
IL crops are to be raised. Most Of
the plant foods, such as lime, pot
ash and PHOSPHORUS, can be supplied
without much trouble. If the humus
becomes much decreased, not only a
source of some of the plant food-the
source of nitrogen-becomes exhaust
ct, but the physical condition Of the
soil is much moddfied-and that for
the worse. The water-holding capacity
Of the soil is much decreased. The
following illustrates this: Some new
soil in Minnesota contained three and
tkree-quarters per cent of humus and
the amount of water held per foot
acre by that soil amounted to 265
tons. Soil that had been cultivated
twenty-five years contained two and
one-half per cent humus and the
amount of water held per foot-aere
amounted to 1S0 tons. If the humus
is lost the physical texture of the soil
is injured. Humus in a. soil makes
il friable and mellow and it is more
easily put in good filth. Humus in
sandy soils binds and dement's the
soil particles together and tends to
prevent the teaching away of plant
food. In clay soils, the presence of
humus renders the soil more porous,
thus allowing rain to penetrate more
easily Humus also allows the air
to penetrate such soils and the action
OF certain beneficial bacteria is I'M
$adt,ubtedly aided by the presence of
air. Humus also probably holds GER
tain salts, such as phosphorDc acid, in
more available form so that they can
be more readily utilized by the plant.
From what has been said it must.
not be thought, that the writer or any
one is of the opinion that North Da-
kota is going to the dogs because
scme of is humus has been wasted.
There are millions of acres in this
state yet toSbe broken and there are
other millions of acres which are now
III high state Of fertility 1t is
merely desired to have you note that
many farmers have sadly misused
their soils and scattered their print
tive wealth to the four winds, and
that the tendency of the majority OF
farmers in this state today is rather
on the side OF such wasteful methods.
Y Extensive farming clearly means a
dissipation OF humus and plant foods
without a corresponding return Oh
them TO the soil The point isr will
will our soil stand for it !? 3.
It is certain that the ideal methods
! for this state would be probable
Failures for the more western states
We need never expect to carry in
stensive farming to such pitch as
III the east where good money can be
nade on a fifteen acre farm. All that
can be desired is to put into prac
tice intensive method for North Da
& k6ta It may be that a quarter sec
ton or a half section is the practical
1 minimum size for the North Dakota
farm, but whatever the size of the
4 farm, the methods Of farming must be
such. II this state is to continue e
wealth producer, that no iiminutio4
OF soil fertility shall take place after
4 a series of years of cropping. 1t is nc
4 exaggenatfon 10 say that upon this
proposition is based the future
wealth, not only of this state, hut 81
our country L
Rotation Methods.
In order to bring about this msScl
desired result it will be necessar.
to work out a proper method of 70
tstion, method Of rotation that vii
produce the maximum amount o
money crops with the minimum
I. loss OF soil fertility, rotation tina
will conserve all possible soil moie
ture--a rotation, In short, that vii
put the greatest amount OF money Ii
a mans pocket for a long period o
years. III 81. y 533s
It is no easy task to formuIat
such a rotation. Is Is a stWe-side,
problem. There are a few basic prtn
ciples underlying the rotation which
when found out, can be applied SUI
cessfully to every dry-land farm Il
North Dakota. The farmers can dis
cover these principle but il viii taxi
lem LOO years to do so. Ire exper
rnent stations will discover them i
i ten years II they set themselves i
& work upon the subj s38s
That IS the general side Oft the prob
lem. There Is also a local and equai
~ important phase Every farme
may enbody the general principle
IN working out his own rotation bu
q there are certain condt lions on eac'
farm which must be individually met
We Il ~, 4, . -.