Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-10-22

Every farmer desires TO grow large
crops- Why not grow them? There is eV-
identity some defect N the soil or the
seed. OF possibly the climate has chang-
ed. for certain Il is that larger yields
were obtained on most OF our SOILS
8 TO 50 years ago than are now secured,
except where some form OF commercial
plant food is used in considerable guam
tity. There is no reason why the SEED
OF any Of our farm crops should deter
fcrate. and Il an inferior variety is being
,Sed IL is the fault Of the planter and
he should correct this defect IN his prac-
tice AZ cnce. Low yields can not, there
fore, be Justly attributed 10 the use OF
poor seed since poor SEED, since this is
defect easy OF correction, and there is no
coubt but that longer and better stapled
cotton. more uniformly developed ears OF
corn. and a better grade OF farm seeds
can now be secured than in years gone
BY. This is accounted for by the fact
that we have large breeding farms. and
there are many men specializing In the
production OF farm seeds
Can the climate have any material in
fiuence on crop production? II could and
would II there had been any marked
change. Doubtless the almost complete
destruction OF our forests has Influenced
crop production to some extent since the
streams are not so uniformly fed, while
the erosion Of the soil is greatly acceler-
afed- An examination OF the weather sta
tistics OF the south. however, would not
Justify one in reaching the conclusion
that the climate was responsible for the
lof Yields about which we hear so mach
general complaint.
What about the soil? BY the process Of
elimination it would seem that the diff
Guilty must be due to change or deple-
ton OF some OF the constituents IL once
contained II is not surprising that this
should be the case, for careful scientlnc
investigations now show that most OF our
cultivated lands contain a much smaller
supply OF vegetable matter and nitrogen
than they once did, and that many OF
them are notably deficient in potash. and
phospheric acid and lime. AS result Of
the deficiency in lime they have often
become sour and thus are not fitted for
the profitable, growth OF many agricul-
furaI crops. The depletion in mineral con-
stftuents and in vegetable matter has
been brought about by clean cultivation
and q failure 20 use winter cover crops
TO prevent soil washing. Moreover. con-
.tinuous cropping in corn or cotton has
aided greatly in lowering the soils crop
yielding capacity.
The situation is a serious one Under
the circumstances. what can be done2 For
something must be done in order that
both the farmer and the industries deJen-
dent on his success may remain prosper
Gus. Nature has provided way out OF
every human difficulty. but she has left
man 10 work out his own salvation. and
so BY a slow process OF educational evO-
luton, Il has been found out that the
present defects in the soil may be correct
cd by using certain OF the minerals which
nature has stored in the surface OF The
Garth in large quantity for the present
emergency. For example, there are enor-
nous and comparatively inexhaustible
beds OF potash salts in Germany which
now constitute the chief source OF supply
or this important element to the world.
The chemist by careful and painstaking
investigation has shown that potash is
one OF the essential elements in plant
growth and nutrition: that on great ma
jority Of our soils and for many Of our
most important agricultural crops. IL IS
necessary to add liberal amounts of pot
ash 70 the soil in order that an adequate
supply OF this element may be provided
for the Reeds OF a given crop. IL has fur
Their been shown that when this practice
Is followed there is a marked increase in
crop yield
OF the other elements needed to balance
up the food supply OF the soil lners is
none more important than phOsphoric
acid This is needed by all crops and is
deficient in the major part OF the land
now cultivated in this country Nitrogen
Is the third essential FOR successful crop
growing Il is probably as badly needed
In the soils OF the south as any one 9th
or element. but there is not the same
cause for distress over its exhaustion rs
over the mineral elements. since through
the agency OF leguminous crops and in