The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1912-04-11

sick. soils. The commonest ills which
affiict the soil are indigestion, auto in
toXication, circulatory and lung
troubles, together with complications
of these diseases which sometimes tax
the skill Of the men who have become
specialists in their diagnosis and
treatment.
This new profession practically had
it's beginning when it was discovered
that there was no truth in the estab-
lished theory. which to an extent ex-
lists even today, that soil is decompos-
ed rock. Investigations showed that
soils instead of being decomposed
rock were in reality disintegrated or
unconsolidated rock. The vital point
of this discovery lay in the fact that
while in decomposed rock it was reas-
enable to suppose that chemical ele-
ments essential to growing plants
might easily become exhausted and the
soils worn out, in disintegrated rock
this was not possible thus making the
much talked Of a worn out soil an i'm
possibility. The disintegrated rock
was found to have intact all the neces-
sary chemical elements present in the
in inexhaustible supply and needing
only to become soluble through natural
processes to be available for food for
growing plants. However it has been
learned that these elements became
soluble to the exact degree which is
necessary to supply the amount taken
from the soil by each years crops.
This has given rise to the new lines of
investigation which have resulted in
acknowledge of the many ways in which
the fertility Of the soil may be reduc-
ed by various diseases enabling the
soil doctor to restore to health wholly
or in part practically any sick soil.
An interesting fact in regard te
soils is that they seem to become sick
and unproductive through the presence
of toxins given off by the plants
which grow in them, much as a per-
son is made sick by ptomaines. This
has been demonstrated by the follow
ing experiment which is used by the
soil doctor for diagnosis an demon.
stration. In a pot of earth are plant.
ed a half dozen wheat seedlings
These are allowed to mature to a Ger.
tain point and are replaced by anoth'
er set. the same earth being used. The
second set Of seedlings will be founC
| to be only about half as vigorous al
the first set The same soil is theT
carefully treated by the replacement
Of the elements taken out by the seed.
| lings an extra amount being added
| for good measure, and more seedlings
are planted. This third group vii
show no benefit from the addition o.
the fertilizing elements, proving tha
it was not case of soil exhaustion
The plants have poisoned the soil anC
the toxin doeS not yield to fertilizer
The soil doctor then applies specific
which he has found perhaps by pre-
v4ous experience will combat the poi
son. Cowpeas perhaps are finel!
chopped and mixed with the soil
After a sufficient interval has elapse'
another set of seedlings is planted witt
the result that a vigorous and salts
factory crop is obtained, showing tha
the poisonous element has been elm
mated. This method is applied to en-
tire fields in instances where a dag
nosis and study indicates it's availa
bility with the result that the process
demonstrated in the experiment ar
reproduced in the field.
Sometimes, however. IN refractor
cases the soil doctor must have re
course to another method and the sol
receives literally an injection of anti
toxin. The soil doctor or the farme
sends to the department of agricul
ture and receives sealed tube of bac
teria along with two little packages 0
the food they will need during tn
, period of their culture or propagation
, Following the directions the bacteri
are propagated in water and liquid ap
plications made to the soil. The or
, ganic matter forming the toxins is at
! tackled by the bacteria and rendere
harmless just as disease is combatte
! in persons by vaccination.
q One of the most valuable specifics !
: the nateria medica of soil doctorin
I is the sugar beet. It's culture is help
! full to sick soils and inyigorating
any soil. In fact the sugar beet migf
i be said to be an old family remed
since it is matter of history that tn
/ soils of Europe owe their present su
j perior crop yields to its general cult
j vation in rotation with other crop
] SGch use of the sugar beet had
{ royal sponsor in Napoleon Bonapart
3 who first championed it as a soil medi
: cine. BY edict he introduced its ger
: eral cultivation in France at tim
i when the soils of his country and Ger
! many reached the lowest ebb of the
I productiveness. TO make sure ths
i every farmer would give earnest as
: sistance to his plan for revivifying tn
soil, Napoleon prohibited the imports
: tion of any sugar thus depriving II
d people of sweets until they grew the
own sugar. The result was that at I'll
j end of four years the yield Of cror
|. grown in rotation with the sugar be-
: | for the first three years exceedea b
: about one fourth the combined yiel
8 Of the entire four years Immediate
: preceding the first planting Of sugs
|. beets. This occurred in 1912 and no
: century later French and Germa
d soil economists attribute the wonder
+ full 'productiveness Of their soils to Il
general use Of the sugar beet grow