The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-02-06
SOL CONSERVATION
Some Of the Causes Of Depletion IN
Vermont

- 49, - - -
Some Of the Causes Of Depletion IN
Vermont
The following paper on 1.-THE Con
seryation OF the Soils Of Vermont"
was written by Joseph L. Hills, dean
of the state agricultural college at
Burlington at the request Of the Yer
mont commission on the conservation
Of natural reeources:
New England is q rugged and
somewhat barren upland area, q sixth
part Of which is improved land. Yer
mont is It's most favored section, in
that three-eighths Of it's land area is
improved, the remaining fye-eights
being either forest clad or best adap-
tel 20 forestry
Vermont farming suffers from
many ms. Plant food depletion the
ieyeloDu cnt OF western areas and in
dus,Ties which have woled away
manycf her best and brightest; the
scarcity Of farm labor; the difficulty
experienced in maintaining a proper
physical condition Of her rough.
stony fields; the competition Of ml Is
and factories for labor; the lure OF
the city, the cityward trend OF the
schools, the decreasing birthrate of
the old New England stock; these
and other causes have been at fault
With the causes OF and remedies for
the sociological conditions the pres
emit article has nothing to do; but in
most condensed form seeks to point
out methods OF soil conservation and
restoration
Soils become impoverished ia
many ways-some natural, some ar.
tiacial These conditions may OF
may mol be remediable Soils be
come surface denuded by water and
by wind; nitrogen was,eage occurs
due 70 bacterial activities; made
quate tillage end drainage entail laul
ty moisture relations; the tillh is in
ierior; the available plant food may
be relatively lacking, acidity excess
i've. the humus supply deficient. Any
one, two, several, or Ell Of these con
diuious may obtain In given case.
Erosion or surface donudation
| an extremely important factor III
| world agriculture. Us so minor a fac
tor here that no special reference 30
needed. Nitrogen wastcage, however
/ Is great Yet thinks 70 clover and
alfalfa gathering nitrogen from the
/ cir through bacterial means, and &c
! calcium cyanamid and lime nitrate
which are artificial atmospheric nitro
! gen containers, htr soils need never
lack nitrogen Let the Individual
farmer keep his land crop cad the
year around, grow clover freely use
land plaster and ahsorben,s In thu
stable, and frequently apply manure
to the fields, and he need not fear nj
trogen depletion
-Four hundred square miles OF
Vermonts area Is in dire need of an
derdrainagc and much OF &c is worth
reclaiming. This Us equivalent to 10
/ per cent Of her entire improved area
1 Most Of the rest Of it 90 tines lacks
water and would be bettorei by ade
/ Quate ulage operations, rightly en-
/ ployed ct the right time.
The lack OF available plant food
may be duo 10 inherent soil poverty
10 misuse, or to undcruse Few Yer
/ mont soils are exhausted though
many are tired Their permanent
producing capacity IS lowered by mis-
use. Many causes are apt to be at
fault. causes romoiiahle by tllase,
drainage, rotation, green manuring,
end the use OF farm mauuros. These
constitute the best keys for unlock
ing the unavailable pant food till
eye, to promote the solubility Of the
sell particles; drainage, to augment
soil aOfeton ana root penetration;
crop rotation. to bring diverse root
ing habits to beer upon different soil
area; mauuring--grecn and larm-tc
promote solution By chemical aud BIZ
illogical action.
Vermont soils ere often acid
/ when sorrel or moss ahounls when
white daisies brakes and blackberry
bushes flourish, when cover fails
acridity may be suspected. Ashes
I lire. mari spr.rklei ON the plowot
burrows end narrowed ln. or other
I wise applied, may prove q happy rem
loiy fer @ desperate condition.
/ "rhe maintenance of sell fertility !.
lcreely s. mc.lT OF tha upka1p OF 10.
humus content Tho first ala 20 IN,
injured SOIL abused end worn out
rmerv should De 90 Furnish ample
quantities OF humus lt supple.
pant food, augmcnis ils water hold
irg capacity increases iis warmth
hctcfs iig tes,rro md promotes hac
torlal growth i.s supply is lowere'
ny tho continuous growth OF tile.
orons by iil advised rototive CROP
pings hy dclor ntcr; and by thl
continued and sole use of CONNER
cl1l fertilizers. 10 is ouEmen,ed D..
an adequate crcn rotation. by che us
oi fern manurcs; and by the pracuc'
OF green manuring
"Nermont farmers ere increasingly
exporting thclr real estate to Bostol
end Now York An average mill
trein removes approximately $40
worth OF plant food beyond our boz
ders. This Is net conservation II
however. tho milk shipper grows ella
yer end feeds Colloncaoi moll O.
other rich conccntrn,cs. Or from th
sir lhc eubsoil and from Dixie lame
end elsewhere es much Of plant l11.
is refiorei ue is removed he MAJ
both cat his cake and have &c too