Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-03-17
What Constitutes Soil Fertility.

What is soil fertility? What does
the term mean to you? What is your
standard of measurement? What are
the conditions or factors which con-
troll or constitute soil fertility?
1t appears that, to some, the guam
tity of So-called plant foods, nitrogen,
potash and phosphoric acid. which are
applied to or contained in the land,
is the most important factor in meas
uring the fertility Of productive
power Of a soil. To others the proper
amount of humus, or decaying organ
ic matter in a soil. Is the measure of
its fertility, or least. is the first es-
sential of soil fertility. Still others
believe that tillage determines more
largely than any other factor the pro-
ductive capacity of soils. And still
others, even certain scientists and in
vestigators, have claimed that soil
fertility is almost or entirely ques-
ton of a proper supply Of moisture
in the soil, independent of its chem
ical composition, except as this chem
ical composition affects its power to
| furnish a proper water supply.
That all soils contain sufficient
plant foods for the production Of large
crops. or that the supply of water is
the sole measure Of soil fertility, will
be accepted by few; but If any one
factor could be singled out as the
most important in determining the
fertility of any soil. it would certainly
be the one of proper supply of wa
ter The lesson which must first be
learned, is that soil fertility is de-
pendent upon many different factors,
and that if we neglect any one of the
factors, or if we greatly exaggerate
another, we shall most likely fall short
90 hof f,,1 nf SnhipPt
essary to the best soil management.
If we admit that good tillage, suffi-
cient plant foods, organic decay and
bacterial life and properly regulated
supply of moisture are all essential
to large crop production, or maximum
soil fertility, it is not quite proper or
accurate to state that any one of these
Is. in the true sense. the most i'm
pOrtant; but since all others Of these
are more or less dependent upon one,
water, it may be placed first in con-
SideratiOn.
Most soils contain much more plant
foods than would be required to pro-
duce scores Of maximum crops; but
these are useless for crop produc-
ton until dissolved in the soil wa
ter. Organic matter decays through
bacterial activities. which break down
and render soluble plant foods in the
soil: but an equally important func-
ton of decaying organic matter in the
soil is it's value in preserving proper
water supply. If. then, sufficient plant
foods in the SOIL decaying organic
matter and a proper water supply are
the three most important factors in
soil fertility. it is entirely proper to
place the water supply as first in i'm
portance. Organic matter would be
placed second because it's decay tends
to render the plant foods already In
the soil available to crop and to regu-
late the water supply in which the
plant foods are dissolved and carried
to the growing plants.
These. then, are our problems: Cd
To control the water supply by drain
age and the introduction of organic
matter. and (2) to furnish soluble
plant foods by Introducing organic
matter which in its decay will sup
| ply substances to dissolve the plant
foods already i'm the soil. and by the
addition of other supplies of plant
foods in commercial fertiliZers.-Pro-
! gresSive Farmer.