The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-03-22
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
control or constitute soil fertility?
1t appears that, to some, the guam
tity of the so-called plant foods, nit
rogen, potash and phosphoric acid,
which are applied to or contained in
the land, is the most important fac
tor in measuring the fertility Of pro-
ductive power Of soil. To others
the proper amount of humus, or de-
caying organic matter in soil, is the
measure of its fertility, or at least,
is the first essential of soil fertility.
Still others believe that tillage de-
termines more largely than any 9th
er factor the productive capacity of
soils. And still others, even certain
scientists and Investigators, have
claimed that soil fertility is almost or
entirely question of proper supply
of moisture in the soil, Independent
of it's chemical composition, except as
this chemical composition affects its
power to furnish a proper water sup
ply.
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 deter
mining the fertility of any soil, it
would certainly be the one Of a prop
er supply of water. The lesson which
must first be learned is, that soil fer
tility is dependent upon many differ
ent factors, and that if we neglect
any one of the factors, or if we great
ly exaggerate another, we shall most
likely fall short of that full grasp OF
the subject necessary to the best soil
management.
If we admit that good tillage, suf-
fcient plant foods, organic decay and
bacterial life and properly regu-
lated supply Of moisture are all es-
sential 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 important; but since all 9TH
ers of these are more or less depend
ent upon one, water, it may be placed
first in consideration.
Most soils contain much more plant
foods than would be required to pro-
duce scores of maximum crops; but
these are useless for crop production
until dissolved in the soil water.
Organic matter decays through bac-
terial 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
a proper water supply. If, then, suf-
fcient plant foods in soil, decaying
organic matter and proper water sup
ply are three most important factors
in soil fertility, it is entirely proper
to place the water supply as first in
Importance. Organic matter would
be placed second because it's decay
tends to render the plant foods al
ready in the soil available to crops
and to regulate 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 it's decay will supply
substances to dissolve the plant foods
already in the soil, and by the addl-
1ion of other supplies Of plant foods
in commercial rtilizers.-Ralelgn
IN. c. Progressive Farmer.