Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-12-09
TO KEEP GROUND
FROM WEARING OUT
Secretary of Agriculture Gives
Some Useful Advice to TilIers
of the Soil Regarding Per-
manenCy Of Fertility,
Morning Journal Bureau,
613 Munsey Building,
Washington, ID. c.. Dee. 8.

minus OF "agrlCultuflStS all over the
country and the attention of the peo-
ple-its to whether the American soils
are continually wearing out, as some
authorities say ana as the soil experts
contend to the contrary-Secretary of
Agriculture James Wilson in his an
nual report deals with the subject as
follows:
"a great and fundamental problem
which has confronted our people, as
il has the people of the world, is the
question of the ~permanency Of soil
fertility. OF late years, particularly,
the idea has prevailed that the soils
of various parts of the United States
are wearing out through loss of min
eral-plant food, and that It serious
condition is thus presented for the
future of our people. SO important
and fundamental is this problem for
the welfare of people that I di-
rected a thorough examination to be
made Of the whole subject, and an
exhaustive report has been issued,
from which certain important con-
illusions can be given in a few words.
1T has been found from the records
kept by our own department that, on
the average. crop yields per zero have
shown n decided tendency to increase
during q period of forty Years, and
mat there is no evidence of general
decrease Ver large areas or in any
particular state. rs Is popularity sup
posed. This indicates, undoubtedly
that on the average our people are
farming more intelligcntlV ana there
fore more successfully, and that we
are through these more intelligent
methods. winning gradually larger re-
turns from the soil.
1T has been held. however. by some
writer's that even If the yields are in
creasing, tho element of danger is
that the larger crops remove larger
amounts of plant food from the soils
ana bring nearer the time when the
soils viii eventually wear out. To
meet this argument It has been neces-
sary to extend the Investigations into
Older countries. and the records Of
Europe have been searched for in
formation in regard to the past his
tory of these older countries that can
be taken as a safe guide for the flu
lure of the newer soils of the United
states. These records Indicate that
IN the middle OF the sixteenth century
or, roughly speaking. three to four
hundred years ago. the soils of cen
tral and northern Europe were pro-
dncing on the average about as much
per acre as the soils of tho
united states are producing at the
present time. These European soils
have been occupied for agricultural
purposes for at least a thousand years,
turing most of which period the
country was more densely populated
a the United States Is at the pros
time. So far as records are OBJ
.atnabie, they indicate that as a re-
'uIt of increasing population and more
and more intelligent meth
of soil control, and in spite of
heir longer occupation. the average
lleld per acre has increased, until In
he case of northern Europe the soas
ire now producing about two or two
one-half rs nue. per acre as the
leWer soils of the United States are l
In addition to this evidence Of act
al crop yields per acre. an exhaus- p
i've Investigation has been made of ,
VI h chemical analyses which have
zen made of soils for the last eigh- I
cen years in certain countries of :
Europe in which crop Yields :
ave been increasing. and likewise of {
he soils of the United States. inchid- p
ng the older soils Of the eastern
tates and the newer soils of the vest
IN states. The results of these q,
nalyses. published side by side. show y
% significant difference in chemical Z
imposition between the older soils $
! Europe and h eve soils of the Z
.hil'd states. Microscopical eXamina- "
.ohs OF me SOILS tail to show that the |,
niger occupation of the soils OF :,
'nrope has changed n~oticeably the :,
character OF the soils :
Is reasonable to infer from the work
nat has been done that within his
re times the occupation Of the soils p
II agricultural purposes has failed n
n~oticeably change the mineral
iaracter OF the soil material upon ~
men the future life Of the nation -
.ust ultimately depend. The reasons W
" this and the laws Of nature which r.
irinit the soil thus TO he cnntinuottsiv 81
and used FOR mankind az "a
as the-air ARE complicated and s.
tticult TO understand. and offer "A Leaf
'otttahle field OF research for our =,
'riculturai colleges and experiment ~
atoms +
While this satisfactory solutiop of is
rs main question is hopeful for tho
ltton, nevertheless individual farm AZ
: lail and individual farms run down !"
rough neglect, lack Of inteUiuept
llivation and lack OF knowledge as
SOIL adaptations and methods or
htroL So far as can be observed at du
e. present time. cases OF faiTrre ON at
Q Aaihl are uue To individual NEGLECT JIG
misludgment such injury rs has tr
suited To the soil in such eases NAV
remedied by change ~ ounc~sbfn OF
BY more intelligent methods "a con- Pi
and is therefore not fundaman- 10
liy "a TO tho soil itself. but IL rho ~
ople who have worked the zntl lth
us Is "a condition which can le inn M
either through force OF uec,s- DC
y. rs Il has been in tho case 81 N
I'm the past. with increasing q,
pulntion and greater necessities. or I"
rough education n force OF intel I-
T. utilizing tho advance knowledge q"
Itch no prevails alike n Europe aud III
1crica.
The first lesson that our peopls
Isl lcarn-one which is taught ht m
-otferatirns OF The soil survey-s ~
we have "a great variety nr soIi ~.
'cs Goo different types Of sill harlrh.
already been encountered ia the -.
a that has been surveycdD. and -.
n n Of these soil upos has It's ~,
n necuitafities. its own charactcrie- nr,
and its own peculiar adaptation H.
crops rotation schemes and meth To-,
OF SOIL control This Is the great tr,-
fast which our farmrrs ~.
- anNUWUsaN... HHU- o. "