The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1912-10-03
TIMELY TOPICS.
(By Geo. Severance, Supt Western
Washington Experiment Q Station,
Puyallup, WaSh)

(By Geo. Severance, Supt. Western
Washington Experiment g Station,
Puyallup, Wash.)
| Frequent inquiries are received by
the station requesting the analysis OF
certain sample of soil, in order to
find out just what it will grow. For
the benefit of interested parties we
wish to state that chemical analysis
is of very insignificant importance in
determining just what soil will pro-
duce. The fact is that nearly every
ordinary fruit, vegetable and field
crop, barring peculiar or unusual soils
or crops of quite limited adaptability,
| is being grown successfully on near
ly every ordinary kind of soil where
other important factors are right.
These other necessary factors include
condition of soil, drainage, amount
and distribution of moisture supply
throughout the growing season, ele-
walton and topography as affecting
air drainage and tendency to frost,
slope and exposure (north, south,
east, west) as affecting earliness and
general warmth of tract; physical con-
dition of the soil as affecting the
warmth and earliness; ability to re-
tain moisture through dry times and
ability to retain soluble plant food
against teaching; and last but not
least, tillage and general manage
ment as affecting the development of
available fertility, retention of mois-
ture in dry weather. eradication OF
weeds and the development of proper
physical condition for the free and
development of plant roots. Chem.
cal analyses show all farm crops to
contain the same elements but in
varying proportions and all fairly
good soils to contain these same ele-
ments in quantities that would re-
quire years to completely exhaust
whatever crop might be grown. The
chemical analyses show the total
amounts of the plant food elements
but only very small amount of
these elements is available to the
plant at ony one time, rarely enough
to carry crop through one season.
The real fertility of the soil or it's
crop producing capacity will depend
then upon the rapidity with which the
large store of insoluble fertility IL
made available, and this in turn will
depend upon thoroughness of tillage
and maintaining an abundance of hu
mus in the soil. A poor soil, chemi.
cally, we'll handled may develop avail
able fertility faster than "a rich one
poorly handled. This difference In
rapidity of development of available
plant food according to tillage and
management may be so great and bear
SO little relation to the actual chemi-
cal composition of the soil that little
shades of difference shown in gross
chemical composition mean practically
| ;,,rr IOto ;vn odo INF hi
ty of the soil to different crops.
On the other hand an examination
of the physical condition helps cOnsid-
erably. If the soil is sandy we know
that it will be warmer and quicker
soil than if heavier and will be adapt
ed to crops that should be on the mar
ket early or should make quick
growth. If very heavy it will be a
colder soil and probably adapted to
the slower growing or full season
crops or those that do not specially
require warm soil. If very coarse
we know that it will not endure
drouth satisfactorily and will not car
ry crops well that should make their
best growth or be fruiting during the
dryest period, nor crops that natural
|
II neither very coarse nor very
heavy we know that it may be used
satisfactorily for almost any crop that
grows if the local climatic conditions
are favorable and market and labor
conditions. make the crop desirable.
In short, it is only when soils are
found to be very coarse, or very fine,
or very mucky that we figure the
mere composition of the soil to be 4
large factor in determining what it is
best to grow.
The Station examines samples OF
soil as to physical condition and as tn
acidity, but cannot advise wisely with
out answers to the following ques.
tons: First, is the soil we'll drained
naturally or artificially? II not, can II
be drained economically? Second, has
the tract good air drainage or is 1t
subject to local frosts? Third, has II
the condition and character of the sub
soil down to two, three and four feet!
Fourth, what is the elevation as com.
pared to the surrounding land? Fifth,
what is the topography Cevel OF
hilly)? Sixth, what is the exposure
north, south, east, west facing)?
seventh, WHAT Oh the more uellCdlc
crops are found growing in the same
general locality as an evidence of the
possibilities of the climate? Eighth,
give any information regarding local
labor, Transportation or market facili
ties that may influence the preference
as to crops.
To illustrate: A sample of good
loan soil is received accompanied
with the request: "Analyze this soil
and tell me what it will grow" Now,
so far as the soil is concerned it would
grow anything successfully from wa
ter melons to hay or grain, but lack
of drainage would restrict hardy vege-
table or forage crops, local frost con-
ditions due to lack of air drainage
would eliminate the delicate fruits,
labor conditions might eliminate GER
tain otherwise valuable crops for
which all other conditions might be
suitable. Again all conditions might
be right for the growth of the most
valuable crops except that the Slip
shod character of the man would un-
fit him for growing anything except
the crudest or hardest crops The