Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1908-06-01
EOUR!sFARMERS.
MANURES AND SOILS.

Prof. A. R. Whitson of the soils de-
partment of the University of Wlscon-
sin college of agriculture explained IN
a recent address. before the tobacco
growers and farmers of the state the
proper methods be employed IN
maintaining the fertility of farms on
which tobacco, sugar beets, cabbage,
potatoes and other special crops are
grown, recommending rotation OF crops
where possible. and frequent appllca-
lions of fertilizers.
''There are two problems connected
with the maintenance of fertility on
any farm where special crops, such as
tobacco, sugar beets, cabbage, potatoes
and fotherA rank growing crops, are
produced" said Prof. Whitson. "These
all require fertile soil to give good
results, and to maintain this hlgh
stage of fertility on the fields requires
the use of large part, if not all, OF
the manure produced on the farm.
Thus the.remainder of the farm is apt
to be [allowed to become exhausted.
The two problems, then, are: First,
the maintenance Of at least a fair
degree of fertility on the remainder OF
the farm.
"Where potatoes are grown, the
larger part of the farm can usually be
put in rotation and the fertility MAIN
tanned somewhat readily. In other
cases, however, it is usually desirable
to select small fields of soil especially
we'll adapted to the crop, and not rotate
with the general farm crops. Where
this is done. it is we'll to provide two
sets of rotation fields: First. for the
special crop, which should be grown IN
rotation with the clover, on the sod OF
which heavy applications of manure
are made fand, second. rotation OF
four or five years on the larger helos
of the farm, including clover. where
relatively little manure can be used.
Here ! clover land manure should be
supplemented by applications OF phos'
phate fertilizers on clay soils, and OF
potash on muck soils.
"The experiments conducted by the
department of soils during the past
four years show conclusively that eX
hausted clay soils on farms Throughout
the southeastern and southwestern
parts of the state are very seriously
in need of phosphate fertilizers, ane
that an application of such fertilizers
with light dressings of manure or OF
clover seed, are highly beneficial. II
generalsit is recommended that NOR
than half of the manure produced OF
the farm be used on the special crops
and the remainder, supplemented b.
phosphate fertilizer and clover, on tn
rest of the farm.
A correspondent reports some yer,
interesting data on the use OF tertl
lizers obtained by experience during
number of yearsT'past in the southern
part of the state. His conclusions ar
of general value, however. One O
them is that, while occasionally SOIL
are found that do not respond to fertl
lizers, usually some combination na
been found that has produced hand
some profits and not infrequentl,
enormous returns. There is. for eX
ample. no question that the application
Of potash in considerable quantities o.
muck soil is very profitable in connec
ton with the growing Of corn an
other crops. It also seems certaI
that the liberal use Of fertilizer On tn
potato crop is highly profitable an
that fertilizer will usually pay we'll O
the wheat and corn crops if used l
the proper proportions and RICH
amounts. The. work that has bee
done emphasizes the fact, however
that in order to secure. the best result
it is necessary to understand the need
of the particular soil and crop to b
used. There is not the slightest doue
that large and profitable increase /
crop production could be brought aboU
in the state by a more systematic an
intelligent use of fertilizers.
The turning under Of legumlnou
crops was found to be the cheapes
means of supplying grains and othe
nonleguminous crops with nitrogen.
Experiments with untreated roc
phosphate in comparison with acl
phosphate indicate Stnat the untreate