The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-03-15
IT has been iterated and reiterated
in this publication that the farm

in this publication LIldI tFo
II er today NUT be thoroughly IA
miliar with the nature Of the soil with
which he has to deal In his operations.
Every man who has some Intelligence
knows that upon the fertility OF the SOIL
depends the material prosperity OF the
nation, because it is from the soil that
man must obtain, primarily, mis- food,
clothing and shelter. The day OF hap
hazard farming has l"ng been past, and
we have with us now day. 1T whlch
science has become the servant OF the
tiller of the soil. In many sections,
especially in the older agricultural reg
ions, the virgin fertility OF the SOIL
has been exhausted by long and con-
tinued cropping and the failure to put
back on the land the elements OF ferti-
lity that have been taken away. This
condition calls for aggressive methods
of artificial fertilizing to restore the
missing elements and to keep the SOL
up to it's standard Of production.
In order that a fertilizer may do its
work satisfactorily it is urgent upon the
up-to-date farmer to know just what es-
sentials to plant growth are lacking IN
the soils and to supply them 1ntcln-
gently, so as to bring the best returns
in crop production. It Is by no means
small part Of his business to know
definitely something concerning the
origin and composition of the soils which
bring his livelihood.
Soil may be defined as the top stra-
tum or layer Of the earth's crust, fern
ed from the disintegrated materials OF
the harder crust and intermirg'ed with
decayed vegetable matter which gives
a brown color to the mixture. 1t is
from this soil that plants obtain their
mineral foods. It also holds certain
amount Of humus material, resulting
from the decayed plant forms grown
upon it. The function OF this humus
is that Of a weak organic acid In that
it has power to decompose salts present
in the soil, and render them soluble In
water, so as to be absorbed by the
plant roots. This humus principle 1ur-
ther produces, under the oxid1zing lnnu-
ence Of the air, ammonia, carbonic acid
gas and nitrates, all Of which are re-
quired to build up perfect plant.
No matter how soils may vary In COM
position from the geologist view point
they are easily classified according to
their main constituents into loamy
clays or argillaceous. silicious or sandy
calcareous or lime and peaty or muck.
The first, a mixture of clay and sand,
is most common, ana Is usually best ad-
apted for rising Ill sorts of crops. The
others may be improved to suit re-
ouirements by the application OF con-
stituents which are found deficient by
careful analysis.
Clay soils are found abundantly
throughout the United States, particu-
larly in the glaciated districts just
south and west of the great lakes, and
are known as glacial clays, because OF
their origin. They were formed by the
breaking up Of feldspar whether this
material appeared in granite or In
masses of pure ieldspathic rock The
disintegration was brought about by
erosion due to weathering, action OF
running water, freezing and thawing'
sunlight and carbonic acid gas. The
glacial clays were formed from the fine