Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-05-03

side, show no sis ificant difference il
chemical composition between the Older
soils of Europe and the newer soils oi
the United States. Microscopical ex-
aminations Of the soils fail to show
that the longer occupation Of the soil:
Of Europe has changed nOticeably the
mineralogical character or the soils
1t is reasonable to infer from the work
that has been done that within historic
times the occupation of the soils for
ticeably change the mineral character
of the soil material upon which the fu-
ture life of the nation must ultimately
depend. The reasons for this and the
laws of nature which permit the soil
thus to be continuously occupied and
used for mankind as freely as the air
are. complicated and difficult TO under
stand, and offer a profitable field of
research for our agricultural colleges
and experiment stations
while this satisfactory solution of
this main question is hopeful for the
nation, nevertheless individual farmers
fail and individual farms run down
through neglect lack of intelligent cul-
tivation, and lack of knowledge as to
soil adaptations and methods of con-
troll. So far as can be observed at the
present time, cases Of failure on the
farm are due to individual neglect or
misjudgment Such injury as has re-
suited to the soil in such cases may be
remedied by change of ownership or
by more intelligent methods of control,
and is therefore not fundamentally due
to the soil itself, but to the people who
have worked the soil. This is cOndi-
tion which can be improved either
through force of necessity, as it has
been in the case of Europe in the past,
with increasing population and greater
necessities, or through education and
force of intellect, utilizing the advance
knowledge which now prevails alike in
Europe and America.
THE first lesson that our people must
ledTT-Olle WHICH IL taught ny lhc
operations of the soil SURVEYS that
we have great variety of soil types
GOO different types of soil having al
ready been encountered in the area
that has been surveyed,) and each one
of these soil types has its own pecu-
liarities, it's own characteristics, and its
own peculiar adaptation to crops. rota.
ton schemes, and methods of soil con-
troll. This Is the great fundamental
fact which our farmers must under
stand: The first step in agricultural
development is tine knowledge of the
particular soil characteristic of the
farm.
"The idea has prevailed in the past
that through the use of commercial
fertilizers and intelligent control all
soils can be made to produce at will
any crop that it is desired to grow.
From a scientific standpoint this may
be possible, but 1t can not be done at
profit. There are soils that can not be
adapted commercially to wheat pro-
duction, there are soils that can not be
adapted commercially to fruit culture,
and there are soils that can not be
adapted commercially to any Of our
staple crops, and should remain as for
est soils. The highest development of
agricultural production will result from
the adoption of each type of soil to
particular line of crops, bearing in
mind at all times the market require
ments and the transportation facili-
ties"