The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-02-24
REHA RESOURCES
The Only Real Cure for ExtOrtfOnate
Prices and Impending National
Decay
National Ma gazine)

National Magazine)
High cost of living, due largely TO
abandonment of agriculture in the
eastern states and concentration of
population in cities Men and women
of the east for a generation have look
ed upon farm life as not worth the
candle and magine that living in the
city and working in mills. factories, {
stores and offices was lying on a bed
of roses. That the city is not a bed Of
roses is evident. inasmuch as there
now is a great big kick about cost OF
living. and with all the cost there is a
lack of the real smell of the roses and
the neW-Tnown hay.
But what is to be done about it? Ev-
erybody can't live in the city and make
hats. coats and steel rails and allow
the fields TO grow up in weeds and
brush. The east must either go a
thousand miles west OF south for their
food products or go TO Canada or
South America. Even then il costs a
lot OF money for transportation and
the problem is no nearer solution.
Some so-called experts would lead
the public TO believe that the soil of
the eastern states is exhausted. but
sometimes even experts make mis-
takes. If they did not. we would not
now find mining interests going over
their dumps TO extract rich metals
which had been east aside as worth
less. Some of the iron furnaces for
years dumped Stag in mudholes, ra
vines and any old place to get rid Of it.
Then they discovered they had thrown
away more metal that they had taken
from the ore. Now they are digging
out the ravines and the mudholes and
making money out of what they had
wasted
We are getting some new light on
soils and the question is asked: rs
there such a thing as exhausting the
soil?" In other words. can soil be-
come worthless by the growing of
crops?" All the leading governments
in the world are spending fabulous
sums through tirair & gTir'iltural 10
partments to learn the secrets of soils
and they are learning much. While
they are working and experimenting,
individuals are not idle. Five years
ago New Jersey farmer bought some
waste or sand land at IS per acre. The
land had a bad reputation, but he
thought he would give it a chance At
ter careful cultivation and application
of manure, he obtained a small crop
of corn. but after repeated attempts
to raise alfalfa, his patience was al
most exhausted. when he heard of the
nitrogen bacteria through the agricul-
tural department of New Jersey. He
had heard of inoculation of the body
against smallpox, but had never heard
before OF incubation Of the mother
| earth. He decided. however TO try
anything that would make his land
grow something. for he had faith in
nature In the meantime he heard that
there was abacteriologist living in
New Jersey, conducting a laboratory
for the cultivation of nitrogen bac-
| terra. also an experimental station for
! testing the bacteria with various
plants. This bacteriologist was DR..
George Earp-Thomas of Broomfield, y.
j., and it was he who showed the far
mer that under suitable conditions
sandy land could be made to produce
as much alfalfa as land many times its
value. After following the advice Civ
en-. and planting a spring crop of in
Oculated Canadian field peas and oats.
to get green manure, the land was
lined and a good seed bed prepared for
the alfalfa. Twenty pounds Of alfalfa
seed were inoculated with nitrogen
bacteria and planted in August, not
withstandinS a protracted dry spell
shortly after planting, the seed germ
mated, and by the following November
a fine heavy stand was obtained of
from 2l2 to three feet in height. show
ing a dark green color and with nod
ules of bacteria we'll developed on the
roots. DR.. Earp-Thomas has been busy
for the past three years showing many
farmers possibilities in what is known
as poor or exhausted soils. The L. s.
agricultural department realized some
years ago the vast Importance of us
ing nitrogen bacteria in poor soils and
tried 20 aid the farmers by sending
out cultures. but these cultures proved
Of little value, they were sent on
cotton. with the result that the bac-
terra died for the want Of moisture.
Other governments have made similar
attempts TO send out the bacteria in
various forms, but met with similar
results. These difficulties were not
overcome until DR. Thomas invented
the ventilated stopper, which i placed
in a bottle containing jelly III which
the bacteria live and muntiply Thus.
air. food and moisture arr supplied ana
life sustained for several yearssLThe
nitrogen bacteria theory has now been
proven 20 the satisfaction of agricul-
tural experts and there i now no real
basis for the belief chat the soil Of TIE
eastern states is exhausted. hui that
ali its lacks Is ni;rate~ ana huCnu-
The air has an ineNAauSt ble supply
which may De tapped and placed back
into the ground for plant food, \
green crop, turned under. supplies
humu<,
The nitrogen bacteria are the mean
by which nitrateS are supplied. TftS,
bacteria attach themselves TO che roo,>
OF leguminous plants. form colonies OF
the roots IN the shape OF little nod
ules. These creatures extract nitro
gen from The air. feed i - The plant
which by actual results shows an in.
crease in plant weight Of from % =
500 per cent. besides storing up n.
trates in the soil for future crop!
amounting TO 500 10 1000 pounds pei
acre.