The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1908-08-14
A BIIlion Tons Of Fertility.


fact developed from the recent con-
ference at the White House. Had
this Convention of the Governors
and foremost men from every State
accomplished nothing else, this turn
ing Of public attention to the impor-
lance of the soil would have had
far-reaching results. The final reso-
luton adopted by the conference in
cludes the following: These natu-
raj resources include the land on
which we live and which yields our
food--we agree that the land should
be SO used that erosion and soil wash
should cease.
The most casual observer knows
that in nearly all parts of the coun-
try there has been steady decline
in the yields of crops from the soil.
1t must be equally apparent that un-
less this steady decrease is, in some
way, stopped crop production must
cease.
A startling presentation of facts
beari@g on this vital matter was
made to the conference by Mr.. ]. J.
Hill, President of the Great North
ern Railroad. He showed that the
yield of wheat in Kansas had fallen
to an average of fourteen bushels
per acre for the past ten years. He
asserted that this decrease in pro-
duction was not due solely to the re-
moval of fertility from the sol! in
the crops harvested, but was aug
mented by the wash of fertility into
running streams.
The amount of this lost fertility
was asserted to be one billion of
tons annually This is the material
coloring our rivers and filing up our
harbors
A very large part of this enormous
waste is due to the denuding of our
forests and to our improvident sys-
tenn of farming. 1t is, therefore,
largely preventable, and as such de-
serves thoughtful consideration.
The Mississippi River yearly car
ries to the sea 1,441,133 tons of the
most fertile soil Of its great valley.
The short Thames River, of England,
yearly carries burden Of 557,595
tons of soil.
When it is seen that these two
streams take over two millions of
tons of fertility from the soils they
drain, it is apparent that the whole
network of streams traversing our
country may easily carry one billion
tons of fertility from American soils.
Fertility is crop producing power
plant food. A large part of it
must necessarily consist of available
food most essential in crops because
most easily exhausted from the soil
1t is therefore important to learn
the real nature of the materials
forming the vast quantity of fertility
being yearly washed from the soils
we cultivate.
On the basis of the average COM
position of American Soils" given
by Stockbridge in Rocks and Soils"
this billion tons of wasted fertility
must contain the following quantities
Of the three essentials:
Tons.
Thosphoric Acid. -, 10000
Nitrogen 49,. 900
Potash. 1880. $500 900
Here is an aggregate of 9,50O,O00
tons of actual plant food, worth at
present prices of fertilizing materials
more than three and one-half billions
of dollars. We speak of our Billion
Dollar Congress as an evidence of
national extravaganza. Yet more
than three times this enormous ex-
penditure is yearly washed from our
soils and wasted in the seas.
These figures show one further
important fact. The amount of pot
ash in this enormous waste of fer
tility is more than double the aggre-
gate Of the other two plant foods
combined. The actual proportion Of
the three different materials is chief
ly important in connection with any
effort at restoring this needlessly
wasted fertility.
1t is self evident that this enor-
nous drain on the stored up fertility
of our soils must eventually exhaust
the supply. This is shown in their
gradually diminishing productive
ness. No only must the waste be
prevented if possible, but the actual
loss must be restored. This is the
reason for our constantly increasing
dependence on fertilizers.
With the intelligent and system
attic use of legumes we shall become
largely independent of artificial sup
plies Of nitrogen, or, at any rate,
there is little need for alarm, since
the extraction of commercial nitro
gen from the air has already as
sumed a practical form.
Vast deposits of mineral phos-