The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-03-06
How to Make the Farm Pay.


There are a great many standpoints
from which this subject can be taken
up. In this talk | will consider 1t from
the standpoint of soil fertility.
The one crop system has reduced
yields faster than 1t would seem that
it ought to, and especially where the
soils were very rich to begin with
In order to get definite data in regard
to the effect of the one crop system as
compared with a rotation, a set of fields
were set apart for this purpose at the
Minnesota Experiment Station. One
field was grown to wheat for five years,
another field to wheat, clover, wheat,
oats and corn manured. A third plot
to corn for five years, and fourth field
to oats for years. These fields had
grown the same crops and had the same
treatment before being brought into the
experiment.
At the beginning the soils were ana
lyzed as to their nitrogen and humus
content Nitrogen is the most import
ant plant food, and also gets away the
easiest; it is also the most expensive
to replace
At the end of the five years there had
been loss of S55 pounds of nitrogen
per acre, Of which 9S pounds were re-
moved in the crops, the remaining 757
pounds being lost, at 15c per pound,
$113.55, which makes it quite clear why
the one cropping system is hard on the
land. 1t was also found that the loss in
humus had been 1900 pounds per acre
in the years, which explains in part
why the nitrogen had escaped, as the
organic matter or humus holds the nit
rogen in way that it cannot waste.
On the field where there had been a
rotation of crops, including clover and
corn manured, the gain in the years
was 343 pounds, of which 225 pounds
were removed in the crop, leaving a net
gain of 118 pounds, which at 15c per
pound amounts to S1710. There had
also been a gain of 1880 pounds of
humus per acre. The difference in the
results of the two fields are very mark
ed; the one containing at the end of
the years, $130.65 worth of nitrogen
more than the other and 21, ,130 pounds
more of humus, besides having raised
by far the larger crop. This one was
a fertile field, in fine tith, while the
other was lacking in both fertility and
tilth. At the beginning of the expert
ment the soils weighed rs pounds per
cubic foot; at the end of the FIVE years
the soil of the field grown to wheat
weighed n pounds, while the soil of the
rotation plot weighed only 72 pounds.
There was a loss of 425 pounds of nj
trogen per acre in the soil of the plot
grown to corn. OF this 2SO pounds
were removed in the crop, leaving net
loss of las pounds, which, at 15c, would
amount to s21.75. The loss of humus
was 5532 pounds per acre.
The field grown to oats for 5 years
suffered loss of $50 pounds of nitro
gen per acre, of which 23O pounds were
removed in the crop, leaving a net loss
of $50 pounds, which, at 15c, amounts
to $11250. The loss of humus was
bUS5 pounds.
These figures help explain why stock
raising and dairying are profitable. 1t
is not only in the returns but also in
the Improvement that comes to the soil
through the crop rotations practiced;
which keep an abundant supply of hui
mus in the soil, to retain the nitrogen
and to make the soil mellow.-Address
before Marion County Farmers In
stitute, by Prof. w. c. Palmer, Win
ona Agricultural Institute.