The Greeley tribune., 1906-02-15
TO FEED SOIL
VALUABLE ADVICE GIVEN BY
SCIENTIFIC FARMER
Renting Farms and Pay Yield
ing Crops Every Year is
Ruinous to Very Best
of Farm Land

Keeping up the fertility of west
ern land" is the subject of an arti-
Gle by G. w. Hervey in the Twen-
tieth Century Farmer. Some of the
matter contained therein may we'll
be studied with profit by great
many farmers. even in this rich agri-
cultural section. In part he says:
'"Ihe Importance Of keeping up
the fertility of the land stands in
front of all other needs and require
ments on the farm.
Every piece of land has natural
Inheritance that is its own, inde-
pendent of what man has contri.
buted. These natural conditions OF
fertility are we'll known by the
homesteader, who came to the open
paririe years ago and commenced its
cultivation. There was no need of
fertilizers being added in order to
get crop, because nature had spent
years in storing up in the soil
potash, phosphoric acid and nitrogen,
the very properties most needed for
crop growth.
1T has been determined that for
every ton of wheat produced there
is removed ten pounds of potash,
fifteen pounds of phosphoric acid
and forty-tive pounds of nitrogen.
1t is this constant drain, this every
year cropping, without restoring any
of these fretilizing properties to the
soil that has given occasion for these
words of warning. 1t is this lack of
system in keeping up soil fertility
that is responsible for the decrease
in crop yields on many prairie
farms.
"A principal source of land abuse
is due to renting lands to tenants to
crop without restraint. The renter
is intent on getting his crop from
the land and his rental and labor,
let result what may. He loses all
regard for the sacrifice in soil pro-
perties that is being made to do this.
For generations the rented farm has
borne the impress of excessive farm
Ing, and in many instances has had
added to this poor farming. Any
plan or system of farming that re-
suits in impoverishing the soil de-
serves the name of poor farming,
whether it be practiced by renter or
land owner The attention to quail
ity of soil is one of the very import
ant things for the tiller OF lands to
train his eye to observe. The OBJ
servance of these things becomes a
matter of education and even pride
with many who are interested in
growing crops.
How shall the saving of soil
fertility be introduced on the west
ern farm, where the practice of soil
robbing has become an established
habit by a custom handed down, and
from the belief also that the fertility
of the prairie lands is inexhaustible?
There are two direct, practical
AGENCIES that may be employed IN
the restoring of impaired soils; the
saving of all fertilizing materials
that accumulate on the farm and
their proper application- to the land ;
the growing of clovers. alfalfa and
other leguminous crops to be used In
4 system of crop rotation for the
building up of soils.
HThe use of commercial fertilizers
is practical; they are effective in re-
suits, but not expedient at the.pres-
ont time, from the standpoint OF
economical soil restoratives. AS
last resort owners Of Impoverished
lands are often obliged to employ
tho aid of commercial fertilizers.
The western farm, however, is only
beginning to show abuse; gooo iarm-
inp and the employment OF the
means at hand on every farm where
rr,in crops are grown and live stock
KENT. will be sufficient to restore the
natural fertility to the soil.