Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1912-02-07
EXPORTING FARM LANDS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

CONTINUED FROM Pa GLE ONE.
condensed form seeks to point out
methods of soil conservation and res
toration.
Soils become impoverished in many
ways-some natural. some artificial.
These conditions may or may not be
remediable Soils become surface
denuded by water and by wind; nitro
gen wasteage occurs, due to bacterl-
al activities inadequate tillage and
drainage entail faulty moisture rela-
tions; the filth is inferior; the availa-
bic plant food may be relatively
lacking. a"idity excessive. the humus
supply deficient. Any one, two. sew
eral, or all of of these conditions
may obtain in a given case.
Erosion, or surface denudation, an
extremely important factor in world
agriculture, is so minor a factor
here that no special reference is
needed. Nitrogen wasteage however.
is great. Yet thanks to clover and
alfalfa gathering nitrogen from the
air through bacterial means and to
calcium cyanamid and lime nitrate,
which are artificial atmospheric nitro
gen containers, her soils need never
lack nitrogen. Let the individual
farmer keep his land crop-clad the
year around, grow clover freely, use
land plaster and absorbents in the
stable, and frequently apply manure
to the fields, and he need not fear
nitrogen depletion.
Four hundred square miles of YER
mont's area is in dire need of under
drainage and much of it is worth re-
claiming. This is equivalent to ten
per cent of her entire improved area.
Most of the rest of it at times lacks
water and would be bettered bv ade
quate tillage operations, rightly en-
ployed at the right time.
The lack OF available plant food
may be due to inherent soil poverty,
to misuse. or to under-use. Few
Vermont 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 remediable by tillage,
drainage. rotation, green manuring.
and the use of farm manures. These
constitute the best keys for unlocking
the unavailable plant food; tillage,
particles DIR ainage, to augment soil
aeraton and root penetration crop
rotation, to bring diverse roofing
habits to bear upon different soil
area manuring and farm-to
promote solution by chemical and bio
logical action.
Vermont soils are often acid.
When sorrel or moss ahounds, when
white daisies, brakes, and blackberry
bushes flourish, when clover fails,
acidity may be suspected. Ashes.
lime. mari, sprinkled on the plowed
burrows and narrowed in, or other
wise applied. may prove happy
remedy for a desperate condition.
The maintenance of soil fertility is
largely matter of the upkeep of its
humus content The first aid to
the injured" soil. abused and worn
out, usually should be to furnish am.
pie quantities Of humus. 1t supplies
plant food. augments it's water hold.
ing capacity. increases it's warmth.
betters its texture, and promotes bac.
terial growth. Its supply is lowered
by the continuous growth of titled
crops by i'll advised rotative crop
ping by deforestation and by the
continued and sole use of commercial
fertilizers. 1t is augmented by an
adequate crop rotation by the use OF
farm manures; and by the practice of
green manurlng.
Vermont farmers are increasingly
exporting their real estate to Boston
and New York. An average milk
train removes approximately SlO(
worth of plant food beyond our Dor
ders. This is not conservation. If
however. the milk shipper grows
clover and feeds cottonseed meal OF
other rich concentra ties; if from the
air, the sub-soil, and from Dixie lane
and elsewhere as much Of plant fooc
is restored as is removed. he may
both eat his cake and have it too.