Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-01-10

considerable latitude, and after the
fashion of public speakers, was not too
strict about technical points, but was
making at the same time capital adj
dress and talking about what every
body conceded was hard, common
sense, with just enough of scientific
terms and data to salt it and Sood
story now and then for fiavoring. Co
ing along at a good clip, he suddenly
collided with Mr.. Martin, who evident
ly thought the speaker was getting a
trifie 100 familiar with plant bacteria
in one or two places and was perhaps
9lling the wind out of the sails OF the
speakers who were to follow, so he
interrupted and requested more
strict following of the topic in hand
and ended by asking, You talk about
bacteria in clover roots; how do you
know they are there?"
Without an instant's hesitation the
srizzled farmer replied, Because I've
seen the animal
The answer was none the less con-
probably better than anyone else in
the house, that the most powerful mag.
nifying glass man has been able to
devise falls far short of revealing in
dividual bacteria to the human eye,
and Mr.. Martin was discounted. Later
the speaker gave a side lecture upon
the necessity of placing faith in many
| things We cannot see, and thus pre-
vented any damage to his reputation
as a scientist that he might otherwise
have sustained.
| Full of Good Things.
| Mr.. Seaman was the principal speak
er of the afternoon, and his talk was
full of good things. At the outset he
| took issue with the impression prevail
| ing with many that farm profit must
necessarily consist of dollars and cents.
| Boys and girls, he said, might very
properly be considered one kind of
lprofit, and soil richness built up
through well directed efforts, another.
He quoted a statement often made by
speakers on farm topics that it is es-
|
would be worth $2000,000 if it were
resolved into its elements. The mis-
sion of the farmer is to realize upon
this vast wealth without depicting it.
For instance, it has been said that by
persistent soil robbing all the potas.
SUM in a given tract of land may be
Extracted in 100 years while it is pos
Isible to remove all the phosphorus
within a generation. The speaker here
launched into soil fertility, on which he
is qualified to speak, having person
Tally analysed soil from nearly every
county in Iowa at varying depths. He
asserted that no two acres of ground
can be worked to the best advantage
by the same methods, because the
composition of the soil externally var
les, and took issue with the teaching
of certain university men that a Ger
tain crop rotation is all sufficient. He
also advanced the theory that al
: plants, through bacteria, general,
) toxic properties which eventually pois
: on the soil in which they grow anC
: render, unfit for the production, yea
: after year, of the same crops. This il
5 shown in the natural change in tht
forms of plant life growing on sol
that is not cultivated.
Mr.. Crawford Heard.
Another speaker of the afternoon wa
Hon. w. II, Crawford of Edgington
who spoke on Keeping Up the Eel
tility of the Soil Mr.. Crawford re
ferred to the exhausted condition o
: the soil in the east, and predicted tina
: eventually this section will experience
: the same state of affairs if presen
| methods of farming are followed. II
: held that the proper way to reStor
= the virgin fertility 10 the ground is t
: sew clover literally and allow blu
D grass to form sod The clover yield
: nitrogen and the grass helps to kee
= the ground in the proper physical col
d dition, so that when grain is agai
/, planted bountiful crops are the resul
|. Timothy, the speaker held, is highl
J. injurious to the soil and not suitaN
} for use in crop rotation.
Il Tells How to Raise Sheep.
Another speaker was Fred Shaffer c
Andalusia, who spoke on sheep Raj;
, ing for Profit" Mr. Shaffer, though
young man, is wide awake and han
l