St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1911-04-29
What Constitutes Soil Fertility.

AOSS G11S ISI1l 1IlGdl W yOu'
What is your standard of meas
urement? What are the condi-
tons or factors which control or
constitute soil fertility?
1t appears that, to some, the
quantity of the so-called plant
foods, nitrogen, potash and phos-
phoric acid, which are applied to
or contained in the land, is the
most important factor in measur-
ing the fertility of productive
power of a soil. To others the
proper amount of humus, Or de-
caying organic matter in a soil,
is the measure Of it's fertility, Or
at least, is the first essential of
soil fertility. Still others believe
that tillage determines more
largely than any other factor the
productive capacity of soils.
And still others, even certain
scientists and Investigators, have
claimed that soil fertility is
almost or entirely a question of a
proper supply of moisture in the
soil, Independent of it's chemical
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 impor-
tant in determining the fertility
of any soil, it would certainly be
the one of a proper supply of
water. The lesson which must
first be learned is, that soil fer
tility is dependent 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 of
that full grasp of the subject
necessary to the best soil man
agement.
If we admit that good tillage,
sufficient plant foods, organic
decay and bacterial life and a
properly regulated supply of
moisture are all essential tolarge
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
others of these are more or less
dependent upon one, water, it
may be placed first in considera-
ton.
Most soils contain much more
plant foods than would be re-
olired to produce score of maxi
mum crops; but these are useless
for crop production until dis
solved in thesoil water. Organic
matter decays through bacterial
activities, which break down and
render soluble plant foods in the
soil; but an equally important
of decaying organic mat
ter in the soil is its value in pre-
serving a 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 Importance. Organic
matter would be placed second
because its decay tends to render
the plant foods already in the
soil available to crops 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:
o., To control the water supply
by drainage and the introduction
of organic matter, and ~, to fur
nish soluble plant foods by in
PRODUCING organic matter which
in its decay will supply sub
stances to dissolve the plantfoods
already in the soil, and by the
addition of other supplies of plant
foods in commercial fertilizers. =
Starkville Miss Progressive
Farmer.
Luncheon Sardines.