Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-14

selves, but our children and our chill
dren's children must obtain their live
lihood from the soil which we now
cultivate. They cannot become veal
thy by rapid increase In the value of
land as has been the case with the
average we'll to- do farmer OF the pres
ent day. Now is the crucial time in
the agriculture of Iowa. The eastern
states are already compelled to ex-
pend millions Of dollars every year for
plant food and unless a radical change
Is made from the wasteful practices
now employed in Iowa the day of COM
mercial fertilizers Is nearer at hand
new and have been under cultivation
but comparatively few years. For
centuries nature has been storing up
fertility in these soils for the use OF
man. But, Notwithstanding their great
native fertility it cannot be too
strongly emphasized that wasteful
methods may In a few years greatly
reduce the productive capacity of Iowa
soils. for there is no soil so fertile that
its producing power cannot be rapidly
decreased by wasteful methods. This
fact is so clearly shown by the his
tory of older states a little further east
that it's truth cannot be questioned.
In Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, large
portions Of which are covered with
glacial drift, in many respects re-
sembling the glacial drift which forms
a large area of Iowa, vast sums are
now expended annually for commercial
fertilizers. The twelfth census esti-
mates that in 1899 Ohio spent $685.
470, for commercial fertilizers; Indiana
spent s1.553,710; and Illinois spent
$780, $50. Later data is not available
but 1t is known that the amount ex-
pended has increased rapidly during
the past seven years. Thus, We see
that In Illinois, our nearest neighbor,
the commercial fertilizer man has
gained strong foothold and is even
now knocking at the door Of our own
state
A ton Of the average soil of Iowa
contains less than four pounds Of &C
tual fertility or plant food The re-
mainder Is simply waste material and
cannot be used by plants as food.
When this fertility has once been
exhausted. remember that 1t is gone
except as 1t is purchased in one form
or another mostly rs high pricec
commercial fertilizers. 1t is either
commercial fertilizers for Iowa in the
| future or else there must be more
clover, more stock, better care of ma
nure and more systematic rotation
Of crops. There Is no escape from
| THESE IaCCS. " men SIldll IL De. lSO
us not become merely soil robbers. Let
each Of us now while 1t is not yet toe
late adopt those methods which vii
enable us to turn our. farms over tc
our children not less but more produc.
tive than when we received them, Their
also let US do what We can to estab-
lish the better methods in the whole
community.
The value, preservation and applica
ton of farm manures deserves specia
emphasis. There is probably no ma
terial on the farms of Iowa who's
value is as little appreciated, and II
which so great an unnecessary loss oc'
cure as in the form nf "'ennre.
The question of crop rotation in
GLIDING the relative value of various
rota tons, Is matter Of supreme i'm
portance. 1t is the common practlc
in this state to change the land" B,
changing the land is meant that corr
is grown as long as possible and the,
the land is changed" by growing
lcrop Of oats or barley. Such a metho'