The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1911-05-26
LAND PLATTER EHo tTs EFFECT
on THE SOIL,

I fs.z y,,ssszer u. Y. Tsrtsf. cfar.n ARf''
I 8'r egrs.,taf r.ttaze EzDer}"Ftt st7tt1"''
( fz.1 tlagfef, 0r gypsum. Is M
/ .,.,e. s+a,,f,ate NJ lime, IL IL TelI
I lnnuo nrf,p sliupIaDt, get II contains
/ a~,,ta,r nitrogen, phOsphOfUs, nor
/ ,,l,'ae.igra. me usual plant fOo9s sup
S,lind IN commercial fertilizers. IN
s/tne localities u Is used ~ c0ns
s,Ingable extent. AceOr1iuR ~ the
eytifoatag III Df. n. ", WileY. of tbe
United 8tatrs department Vi Arricn'
fure about EG,tDD f0hs ~ ground laud
DIaster Is used annually in this
cOUntry,
Land plaster rs nov used in West
ern oregon and Western Washington.
especially in the Willamette Valley.
~ fertilizer for leRuuiDOns croDh
~ evidence Of It's remarkable stitnh
laijug action on the CROWN NJ leg
nfneg, many instances are recorded
where the yield or Il clover Or y@tch
crop hns been practically doubled by
treatment with plaster ht the rate
of 80 10 80 pounds per acre. THIS
fertilizer has also been used with sue
Gegs BY number of market gardeners
on general truck crops.
The reactions that take place IN
the soil when land plaster Is applied
have been studied by numerous IN
ynstgat0tg. Physically, It rs known
10 exert Il beneficial effect on heaVy
CLAWS by flOcCulatiOn, though In this
action # is far surpassed by lime, II
| has also been considered that lana
| plaster has the power 70 neulfallZe
| soil acids. but experiments made lr
| the laboratory have indicated that H.
does not have such an effect ana
! hence cannot be used ~ q substitute
for lime in this regard. Originally
benefits derived from applications
we're attributed 10 its fixing action
on certain compounds Of ammonia
converting them into more stable
forms for the use Of plants.
Many years ago, however, IT was
observed In comparing Analyses OF
clover grown on plots treated with
pIagtrr with those Of the same plant
grown on nptrcaicd plots, that the
plagicrrd clc""r contained more pot
agh. one Of the most essential ele-
mcnts Of plant fGod A later inyesti-
gator gfatna. az Is found that the
lime Of the pla2fer Is fixed in the soil
while a corresponding quantity OF
potash goes into solution" At the
present time 1t Is generally consid
cred that the benefits Of land plaster
are due to its action in liberating
potash from some Of the more in
soluble materials Of the soil.
In connection with some soil stud
les a test has been made on num-
Der Of typical Oregon soils, including
Willamette Valley clay loans, red hill!
soils Of the foothills, and Eastern
Oregon silt loans, as regards the
liberation Of soluble potash by land
plaster. In every instance it has
been found that the plaster releases
potash from these soils and hence
acts as an indirect potash fertilizer.
| This fact, together with the fact that
plaster encourages the growth OF GER
tain nltrifying organisms in the soil
which are beneficial to plant growth
probably explains its beneficial action
on Oregon soils.
In some localities in the United
States where plaster has been used
for a long period Of years 1t has
been claimed that the SOIL does not
respond to its application as readily
as formerly. In other words, the sup
ply Of plant food material liberated
by the action of the land plaster ap.
pears to become depleted Analyses
indicate that our Western Oregon
clay loans contain an almost mex
haustible supply Of potash and If it
can be rendered more available
through moderate applications of land
plaster without the accumulation OF
any injurious products in the SOIL it
would seem no objection can be
raised to it's use. One particular field,
sandy loan used for truck garden
ing, has come to our notice which has
had applications Of land plaster for
Is years at the rate Of 200 pounds
per acre and still responds readily
to this treatment.