The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-02-01

great necessity of providing for their
posterity by conserving soil FERTILITY. !
But II AZ no longer mere chance that
builds a home on those partially
starved fields Of our great northwest.
Yes. we might be happy, if 1t were
only this section OF the country that is
facing this condition of low yields.
No, the greater portion OF our whole
domain requires the very same educa-
tion on problems relating to our soils
that we do here In the northwest.
There is a class OF farmers, II
farmers We may call them, who de-
serve a few words in explanation OF
the method they use toward self
qualification. / call attention to the
So called bonanza farmers 1t is they
whom we have to blame, in large
measure, for the low yield Of the
great portion of our farming land
These men came here; some perhaps
we're poor, but the majority had
money and by any means, fair or foul,
secured as large tracts of land as
possible. These men were not farm
ing for the good of the country. They
were not building up wealth in order
to provide a home and education for
their families. Nor did they care for
the future welfare of their successors.
On the other hand they were robbing
the very cream OF life from the soil
by the most extravagant methods. All
this, as a means for their own i'm
mediate personal benefit They never
gave a thought to the leaving Of re-
sources for the maintenance of future
generations.
This condition is not only peculiar
to agriculture, In a new country, but
every new field Of operations usually
witnesses similar condition.
The land owner who scarcely ever
superintends his farm work, who
knows practically nothing of the re-
sources of his soil, who may not even
establish a temporary home for him
self or his family on his easily acquir-
ed farm, is in my opinion little more
desirable in agricultural society than
the Chinese laborer. who completes
against honest American workmen in
this country. This class OF farmers
are little more to be feared by agri-
cultural society than the owners of
large tracts OF land, including in man.
cases, several sections, who purchased
them at small cost and vet persists
in owning this land, but insist on
renting it to people who would gladly
pay well for the land in order that
they might sometime in the future
have permanent home for their
families Now the object OF this class
Of farmers cannot be for the best in
terests of our country. This class of
farmers seldom IL ever look forward
to the conservation Of soil fertility.
They do not need the best returns
from the soil at the present They
have already reaped the early harvest
and so now future generations swilT
have to struggle hard in order to re-.
store the soil to a condition that
favors profitable yields The tillfng
of land by renters or leaseholders is
one OF the most destructive methods
of farming, not only as regards soil
fertility, but also as establishing
poor standard Of citizenship. This is
one OF the conditions that confronts
many OF the European countries to-
day.
"Soi is the fundamental material
upon which the great portion of all
animal life depends. 1t is the great
storehouse and laboratory wherein
nature brings about marvellous condi-
tions. 1t is in the soil workshop that
the crude substances are converted
into material available os plant food.
Without the chemical, physical and
bacterial action that is carried on in
the soil, it would be Impossible to pro-
duce our standard highly perfected
beef cattle types; neither would our
beautiful draft horse be shown at our
fairs. The choice fruits would not be
found for sale at the nearby grocery
store If 1t were not for the producing
function Of the soil. The fat sheep,
the high class lard and bacon hogs
and our grand, picturesque green
fields, all owe their existence to chem
ical and physical and bacterial pro-
cesses carried on in this Gods great
est laboratory of nature, the soil.
Nov, let us turn our attention to
a brief study of the soil itself First
of all we learn that soil is disinteg-
rated rock. After the rock has been
broken into small fragments, organic
material has accumulated near the
surface until the soil no longer has
the color of the original rock. The
rock has been broken, granulated and
powdered until 1t finally reaches the
different gradations in which we find
our present soils to be CLASSIFIED. The
rock from which soil Is made varies
greatly. We may have soil formed
( from q sandstone or a limestone,
quartz granite, and so on, or we
may find soil composed of mixture
of several different kinds of rocks
The geological formation from which
soil is formed greatly governs its pro-
ductive and commercial value. Thus
q soil containing a large per cent of
limestone has greater value as
crop producer than a soil containing
no limestone, but instead large per
cent of sand or quartz.
| The geological formation of soils is
an interesting study. This takes up
| the different agents Of disintegration,
such as heat, cold, moisture, winds,
etc. The part that each OF these
agencies plays In soil formation must
be left for individual study However
without inQuiring into all the detail
we find for our use the soil, as nature
left 1T whatever was the cause of its
| formation.
THE classifications of soils is OF
much interest to the farmer. Knowl
edge Of soil classification and the rel
ative value OF each type is of great aid
TO the purchaser Of a farm If the
farmer who wishes to buy land In a.
strange section Of the country is ia
miliar with the different types Of soil
and their producing value, he lis far
ahead OF his neighbor who lacks this
| knowledge. Soils are claasifiad &C.