The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-07-03
THE SOIL MUST BE FED
Some Plain and Interesting Fig
ures Relating to Removal OF
Plant Food-The Effect.
BY PROFESSOR CYRIL G. HOPKINS,
University OF Illinois

In a three year rotation OF corh
oats and clover let US assume yields
OF 100 bushels per acre Of corn and
oats, four tons Of clover and Tour
bushels Of clover seed.
We may sow cowpeas In the corn the
last cultivation and possibly produce
catch crop OF one-half ton 10 the acre
We will plan to husk the ear corn
and leave the stalks on the land to
be diSked down for seeding oats and
clover.
The oats should he cut as high as
possible and the thrcshcd oat straw
should be spread over the land either
before or after rotting. as may be
found best.
The third year the clover may be
clipped perhaps two weeks before hay
ing and left lying on the land, tho
second crop being harvested later for
seed. using a bunchcr attached to the
mower go as TO avoid raking
The threshcd clover straw should be
spread over the land and II rock
phosphate is used II may be applied
and plowed under with all of the
accumulated organic matter in prcpa
ration for the following corn crop
which would begin the second rota :
ton,
These three crops removed about 173
pounds of nitrogen, while the clover
and cowpeas returned about 1S2 pounds
of nitrogen and, together with the corn
stalks and oats straw. furnished a
largo supply of humus.
This is system of grain farming
planned to maintain the supply of
humuS and nitrogen.
II the yields arc cut In two the basis
Of the system remains the same.
Many other rotations for grain farm
Ing might be followed. but In all cases
liberal use must be made of legumc
crops, catch crops, other green manure
crops and crop residues in order 10
supply humus and nitrogen.
In live stock farming take n five
wear rotation including corn two
years, oats with clover and timothy
seeding the third year, and two years
OF clover and timothy, using one year
for hay and the other for pasture, as
sumlng the same yields as before.
Shock one-half Of the corn or put
It in the silo: husk the other half and
use the oats straw for feeding and
bedding
The four crops WIN remove from the
soil about 369 pounds of nitrogen and
the clover hay viii contain about 40
pounds. which we assume was secured
from the air. making iS9 pounds OF
nitrogen I'm the total feed and bedding.
II onc-half OF this Is recovered in the
manure and returned 10 the land there
would be a deficiency OF l2& pounds.
But two thirds Of the nitrogen can be
recovered by fccdinS upon cement floors
and n liberal use of straw and shredded
fodder for bedding. thus reducing the
deficiency TO SO pounds
Tho pasturing may gain IL pounds Of
nitrogen BY feeding more or less
upon the fields and by leaving con-
siderable clover In tho pasture to
serve as green manure this small
deficiency can be replaced. but 10 main
tain or increase the supply OF humus
and nitrogen in the soil Is by no
means all easy problem. even with live
stock farming
Keep In mind these two words. pros
phorus and humus
II these are increased in the sol,
the farm will be growing richer and
more productive. but whoever removes
the phosphorus OF destroys the humus
more rapidly than they are replaced
VIII have poorer land year by year with
poverty as the only future FOR the chill
dren who continue the same ruinous
system.
A 100-buShel crop OF corn requires %
pounds of phosphorus; so -bushcl crop
Of wheat, 16 pounds. I-ton crop OF
clover. 20 pounds,