Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-10-06

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NOT THE FAULT OF THE SOIL.
Commercial West: Prof. n. L. Boil
lev, botanist at the North Dakota Ag-
ricultural Experiment station, has
made what is likely to prove one OF
the most important discoveries ever
made in connection with cereal plant
life. Compared with it, the growing
of spineless cactus and the propagat-
ing of nondescript Wonder berries,
which have made Burbank famous,
seems about as important as toy
balloon besides a dirigible airship.
Professor Bolley's discovery is that
the decline of wheat yields is not due
to soil deterioration-the wearing
OUT of the 1and-but Ito causes as
ISOLATED with specific crop diseases"
The chief cause of deterioration of
the crop on old wheat lands, he as
serts ''rests in the action of parasitic
fungi, causing root-rot and blight
ing" Furthermore, Professor Bolley
says that the results obtained in in
yestigations in search of remedy
are Of such direct nature as to war
rant the belief that methods Of Gull
ture and treatment similar to those
advised for elimination of fax-wilt
fungi will work wonders upon most
of the so-called WORKOUT Soils OF
the northwest.
This discovery of Professor Bolley's
must impress one who has watched
the idiosyncrasies incident to crop
development during different seas
ons, as a much more plausible reason
for crop variation than that of soil
deterioration. 1t must often have
occurred to crop observers that the
result Of soil deterioration would be
more constant, season after season;
for it hardly seems probable that
climatic conditions (barring blight
caused by excessive heat, or drought)
varies sufficiently. to cause a wide
range, one season from another, Of
yields. Plant diseases might.
The crop Of the last summer is an
excellent illustration Of yield varia-
ton; and the crop all through the
early summer and up to the early
dough stage was almost equal to
crops grown on virgin soil. The yield
was cut down by excessive heat,
which might occur on new land as
well as old, and so is negligible
factor as regards the soil. Now there
were no atmospheric conditions Cor
none reported by scientists) during
the spring and summer widely differ
ing from those that obtain every sea-
SON. Certainly none that would over
come the condition of wornout soil
to such a remarkable degree. Soil
deterioration must be a positive con-
dition, or it Is nothing. 1t could
not be acknowledgement this year
and less the next; and that is. only
In a small degree. Now that Pro-
fessor Bolley has announced his dis
coyery, one feels some confidence in
asserting that the crop fluctuations
(the average yield) Of the northwest
during the last half dozen Or more
years must have been caused by
something more potent than climatic
conditions. Professor Bolley's theory
= is probably the correct one.
It begins to look as though we have
been regarding crop deterioration
much in the same light that yellow
fever was regarded until the germ
bearing mosquito was discovered.
Climate and unsanitary conditions
we're charged with the crime Of vel
low feyer, while, ignorance and the
little mosquito were the deadly COM
bipation.. Likewise, it now seems
probable that we have been laying
the blame upon the soil for reduced
yields Of wheat, when little thought
directed elsewhere might have rem
edied the deficiency. The line OF
least resistance has continually been
followed, however; or it the yield
declined, the soil was the first place
to look for the trouble.
re Professor Bolley can discover
any kind Of remedy for the d.
seases with which the wheat plant
is afflicted. II should result n 10 per