Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-01-23

| yield OF the fan plowed ont plat, we
come to the conclusion that continuous
cropping to wheat gives a yield OF 1.
| bushels per acre more than FOLLOWING
| wheat after oats. Ii, on the other hand,
| we campare the yield from out fall
| plowed wheat plat with that OF the
ether fall plowed oat plat, when gave
| 2S,9 bushels per acre, we come TO JUST
the opposite conclusion, whish Is that
| following wheat after oats gives 80
bushels more than continuous cropping
| 10 wheat.
| We might continue this kind of re-
| grouping and cross checlilng indeh-
| nitely but think that enough has been
! said to indicate the dangers of too
| much generalization, from u too liin-
| tied observation.
THE BIG LESSON.
we nnd that our figures instead Of
not proving enough, prove altogether
too much We find 10 use Crotners
expression. that we have discovered Il
large number of little unclassitied
truths that drive us to our wits end.
There they stand, each In its shame
less actually, asking, What do you
make OF me-" | think that these facts
which refuse to be classified accord
ing to any system vet established do
not Indicate that they cannot be sys-
tematized, but simply show us that
no system has yet been devised that
will III all OF the facts; that in at
tempting to Draw conclusions passed
upon the consideration OF only rms
facts OF tillage and crop sequence we
have ignored other factors that are OF
even greater Importance than those we
are considering.
FINAL CONCLUSIONS.
here submit the conclusions at
which | have arrived from study OF
the two years work at the North
Platte station.
1.-The problems involved in crop
rotation and cultivation methods are
exceedingly complex and are made up
of many factors. such as seasonal soil
and air temperature, evaporation, hui
mildly, wind velocites. sunshine. alti-
tude, topography, exposure or lay OF
the land. chemical composition, physs-
cal composition, structure and filth
of the soil, effect of previous cropping
and tillage. crop sequence, varietal ana
physiological peculiarities of crops
grown and probably many other fac
tors even more obscure and difficult to
deal with.
2--From the standpoint Of the prac-
teal farmer the above mentioned fac
tors may be divided into two groups
the modifable and the unavoidable.
are more or less under the control of
man, such as the chemical composition
and physical structure, filth and nloiS-
ture of the soil, crop sequence, seeo
seslection etc. The unavoidable group
Includes by far the greater number OF
these factors which can be controlled
by man to only very limited extent
or not at all, such as general climatic
conditions, topography. physical com
position of the soil, etc. If these UNI
modifiabe factors were constant In
their occurrence, and in their reia-
tions to each other, the problem would
be comparatively simple, but they are
not. They are continually combining
and recombining in over-changing re-
lations to each other and to the modl-
fable factors; sometimes one group
and sometimes another being the com
trolling one.
when we consider that the modi-
fable factors are not only relatively
few In number, but that they can be
controlled by men to only a limited ex-
tent, and that their effect upon the
peculiar combination of unavoidable
factors existing at the time is prob
lematical when modified in any given
direction, the difficulties and dangers
involved in any attempt to deduce
given general principles governing the
effects of various agricultural practices
calculated to so modify the soil condi-
lions as to insure the maximum yield
of crops at once becomes apparent.
1.-The above considerations lead us to
an explanation of the fact that al
though farming has been carried on
in the Great Plains area for more than
a quarter of century, very little pro-
gress has been made toward solution
of some of the simplest problems OF
farm practise, such as the best time
and depth of plowing, crop rotation,
tillage. summer following. etc. They
show also the utter futility of any at
tempt to establish definite system of
tillage based upon any limited expert
ence in restricted localities and under
circumstances where at best only a
very few of the many factors involved
can be measured, such as has been
made by parties interested in the COM
mercial exploitation of lands in the
semi-arid districts.
Son the other hand we believe that
the results so far obtained at this sta
ton lend strong support to the belief
held by those In charge of this CO.
operative work that some very def
mite relations can be established be-
tween methods and results which will
be applicable to the entire practise of
agriculture in the semi-arid districts,
If this work Is developed as it has
been begun, by first attempting, so far
II
physical. chemical and biological. that
enters into the production of crops; and
in the second place having a large num-
Der of closely correlated rotations ut
each station, upon many OF which the
same crop is raised under like condi-
tons, thus affordlng an opportunity for
cross checking and averaging results
so as to eliminate many Of the I'M
known factors which are likely to WITH
ate results where only one or two fields
are used.
Given after every precaution has
been taken to eliminate errors by ex-
ercislng the greatest possible care I'm
the selection Of the land, the laying out
OF the plats, and the harvesting and
Weighing OF the crops, and by the cor
relation Of rotation. duplication of
plats. checking up results obtained
from crop yields by physical. chemical
and botanical determinations, and the
continuation of the work under def |
mite system through long term of |
years, as has been planned for thls |
station, II win not be until the results
of the work at North Platte have been
compared with the results from q dozen
or more other stations in the Great
Plains area, as Will be done by the
office OF dry land agriculture, II. s.
department Of agriculture. that definite
conclusions can be drawn concerning
many OF the vital problems Of dry land
agriculture. II Is believed. however.
that the results already obtained al
North Platte Win prove Of value 10 tho
farmers OF Nebraska, IL I'm no other
INV tnar I,t t,al,tffror 1,,t IT,. 49,.