The silver messenger., 1912-03-12

| nonooo' o'AAcht' on the successful
hanaeement .hana OF the crop largely res,
these five fundamentals: 's'
a. ECONOMY Of Business
maintenance OF Soil Fertility
o. productivity of the Soil
= subsistence for Livestock
O.. Farm Profits at end NJ co.ao.
Inc term Rotation of Grows" = :.
us1u 70 designate system OF crons
wnich give a recurring succession ~ n
re 'elu pants with differing plant food
Reasons for Rotation.
The primary purposes of a cron ro
tauon are 1st, Prevention of "rror
SICK soils, the result of continno,s
cultivation OF the same crop for No
rlod OF years; End, The elimination q,
weeds, insect pests and crop diseases
sra, Increase in the productivity n,
the field crops by conserving the soj'
fertility. ''''
First Irrigated Crop.
Iho first crop to be grown in anv
appreciable degree under the ditch
was wheat. Wheat followed wheat
year after year On the river plain
farms OF Utah and Idaho until in
some instances the yield of grain fell
20 and even so per cent below what
u nrst gave the farmer. This was
on comparatively virgin soil which
we think is rich as cream. Why is
this? Feeding at the same depth on
me same plant food elements absorb
the readily available plant food of
this particular element so this class
of plants Is then sparingly fed. Like
starved pig, 1t cannot make its
owner the profits the we'll fed ones
do.
All plants do not feed alike. They
either use different foods or the same
food from different depths. There
Tore. plants feeding at different
depths Of soil. although they may use
the same food elements, the deeper
teeding plants can follow the shallow
feeders without serious immediate
loss, although eventually, unless these
absorbed food elements be restored,
the available plant food will become
be impoverished.
The depositor who continues to
draw his money from the bank with
out making deposits will at last find
bis checks returned marked short"
No bank will permit continued over
drafts. We should not be taking Oh
all the time, without putting back the
al {nk 81
feed, some Of the time. II we do. we
have a crop sick soil that does not
pay its checks for want of funds
the available food elements that have
been taken through previous with.
drawals.
Our Utah and Idaho soils are either
Of granitic or volcanic rock formation
These soils seem to hold an abund-
ance OF potash, reasonable amount
of phosphates, Limited amount OF
nitrates, abundance of lime, but a
great deficiency in organic matter
commonly known as humus. Here
are the essentials we need in these
soils; they constitute the soil baron.
eter since the lessened amount Of any
feet the general crop culture. Humus
not only increases the water holding
capacity OF the soil but it also carries
an appreciable amount of nitrates,
dence we need. early in our cropping
TO get humus In the soil Feed the
soil constantly, that 1t may, in turn
feed our crops. How may we do this
BY growing crops that tend to store
what little humus we have with nitro
gen, while 1t increases the humus
content OF the soil These are legume
crops-alfalfa, beans, peas, alsike, red
clover and vetches constitute the le-
gume family group-which have
proven profitable for us to grow In
the west. Choose the one that is best
ADAPTED to your farm environment,
and you feel will grow you the most
dollars. Give it permanent place
In your field crops.
These plants seem to have the Pc
culiar property of utilizing the free
nitrogen of the air and thus store nj
trates in the soil. and accumulate nu-
mus, the one thing our soils seem
most to need. How is this done
Through a most peculiar little 1amliy
OF lower organisms known as pac-
terra. which grow on the root hairs
and tiny rootlets of the root system
of these legume plants. This creates'
az 1t were. fever in that particular
part Of the plant, calling for more air
and more water In chemical pro
cess not easily understood, the free
nitrogen obtained from the surround
ing air is worked into nitrates aVaii'
able to succeeding plant life.
Perennial legumes are always deep
feeders, bringing a part OF thelr ni,n-
eral food from soil depths below the
feeding ground Of ordinary crops,
This value to succeeding crops IS
shown in the opening paragraph TO
Coburn's Alfalfa; There are sonie
silent sub-soilers that 90 tnelr
work with ease and in their way
more effectually than any team OF
nlow ever hitched The clover plant
Is righteously famed as one OF 'hese'
but alfalfa is its superior lts roots
work Sunday as well as Satu,uas
night and day. they strike 5. TO- 10 or