The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-01-16
GRAIN
OPENED ANNUAL
SESSION D
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S~0~4Y SAk l.
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first. on the amount Of plant food II
the land, and second. on the Weld OF
the crops. The more rich the store
of food in the land. and the larger
the crops grown. the sooner will the
supply OF fertility run low. That the
producing power Of much Of the LAND
in this state has been lowered is Ger.
tainly true. That 1t has been reduced
crops from 1t is probably not true. In
dry areas lands will wear relatively
longer than in areas that are moist
That is brought about first, by the
fact, that there. 10 no loss from leach.
ing. second by the fact. that these
plants root more deeply than in hu-
mid areas. and third, by the fact. that
moisture accruing carries up a larger
proportion Of the food elements used
from the subsoil than is thus carried
up in humid areas.
Every grain crop grown and sold
takes away certain amount of humus
from the soil. The longer the process
continues without change, the less be-
comes the residue Of the humus left
in the soil. The depletion Of humus
is followed by a physical condition
Of the soil too loose or too impacted
according to the nature Of the soil.
Heavy soil becomes more and more
impervious to water and air, and light
leachy. All soils robbed Of their hu-
mus have but little power to hold
moisture. a fact Of great moment in
areas where tho supply of moisture
is naturally Low.
The fungus diseases that grow out
of the one crop system and the
transmission of the germs of these
to the land. is one Of the most serious
evils that results from the same.
When the germs of those diseases are
lodged in the land. they are greatly
known remedy for them when the
germs are lodged in the soil is a
change in the rotation. The crop af-
fected must be dropped out of the ro-
tation for n time. How long will de-
pend on the on the nature of the dis
ease. In the case of flax wilt, the pc
Rod of such omission overs several
years.
Weed growth is certain to increase.
There is no method Of stopping it
save by summer following the land,
growing a cultivated crop. The con
dition Of much Of the land in Dakota
at the present time through the
growth of weeds is simply appalling.
Weeds injure the crops by .robbing
them of food, by crowding them and
overshading them. The injury from
robbing them Of food is probably the
most serious. for weeds nave much
more power than food plants to gath
er food in the soil. But the injury
in the three ways mentioned reduces
very greatly the aggregate Of the
crops. Rotating the crops tends very
much to the reduction of weed growth
more especially when cultivated crops
and grass crops are introduced into
the rotation.
Live stock cannot be maintained
in large numbers In the, absence Of a
suitable rotation, where grains only
are grown it is NOT possible to keep
live stock in large numbers, since
such a system implies the entire alb.
sence of pastures. without which live
stock must. generally speaking be-
given a wide berth on the farm. A
change from n kind of grain to an.
other is in q a rotation, but it /,
hardly worthy of the name, since Il
excludes grass and clover crops. These
must he included more or less in am
rotation that is going to bring healing
to the land. Plants of the grass fam,
lily bring humus to the land. ant
those Of the clover family bring boti
the way for increase in the keepin,
of live stock. ~ Fi
Maintaining Producing Power in tn,
Land.
This may be done in various ways
the principal OF which are the fol
lowing: Q) Growing legumes: main
tanning live stock on the farm ant
carefully applying the manurial prod
uct made to the land; and ca apply
ing commercial fertilizers OF thes'
methods of maintaining fertility, tn,
first will bring the greatest benefi
In proportion to the outlay. But it il
scarcely possible to imagine the grow.
ing OF legumes extensively withou
Keeping enough live stock on the farm
to conserve this class Of product. TIL,
iegumes that will render the creates
benefit to Dakota soils are alfalfa
clover and the Canada field pea
These will probably be found helpful
IN h order named. These plant
supply OF nitrogen called for to grow
the crops of the future. The suppl,
of potash is so abundant in Dakot:
soils that any addition to it need no
be considered now The supply O
phosphate will also be enough, gen
orally speaking. to last for many year
r%eplenishing 1t. nrovidin,
such deep rooted plants as clover an,
alfalfa come to be extensively grown
as these Will carry phosphate up from
the subsoil to be put back on the sol
on or near the surface in the manur
used, and also in the root growth de
Veloped in the cultivable area.
The more that these are crown an,
consumed on the farm, the more viii
be the fertility thus added. That thi
iact hal not bee generally recognize,
by the farmers of Dakota, and tina
they have not acted accordingly ha
greatly hindered the success Of Da
kota agriculture. Such introduction
vented soil depletion in a marked de
gree, but 1t would have Introduce,
q rotation the influence OF which
would have been most beneficial.
NO better method can be devise,
OF bringing humus to a depleted sol
than by growing legumes. The larg,
amount relatively Of the root growtl
In these adds humus quickly to tn,
soil. 1t is also true that these crop
add to the fertility OF the soil an,
also replenish the humus supply vir
value to the farmer is more than tn,
cost OF growing them apart from tn,
influence which they exert on the hu
mus supply and on the fertilization
OF the soil.
That the maintenance OF live stool
on the farm to the extent of its ca,
pacity to sustain them is greatly help
full to the maintenance OF fertility IL
the same, cannot for one moment b,
doubted. Testimony may be gathered
from every country in. the world tina
will support the view expressed above
wherever live stock have heAn .exfan.