The Mena weekly star., 1913-11-27

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment
Station.
The soils of Polk county cannot
be said to possess a high degree OF
productive power at the present
time. Many of them are shallow
and are inclined to pack upon the
slightest opportunity. This condl-
ton of medium or low productive
power is usually found associated
with a serious lack or organic mat
ter in the soil. The warm climate
which permits decay throughout the
greater portion of the year, togeth-
er with the system OF farming
which leaves the land bare through
out the year IS responsible largely
for the serious lack of organic mat
ter. We must recognize the 1acJ
that the organic matter in our soils
is more subject to decay than are
those elsewhere. Since this Is true
we must adopt some definite system
of returning organic matter to the
soil each year if possible in order
to restore it to its original pro-
ductive power.
The result of the work at the
Mena Sub-Station has shown the
readiness with which the soil OF
Polk county will respond to good
treatment. The most important
feature of this treatment Is the re-
turn of organic matter to the soil.
There are three ways in which to
return organic matter to the soil.
First, to apply barnyard manure;
second, to turn under the stalks
each year; third, to turn under a
green crop every few years There
are some objections to each of these
systems. Barnyard manure at pres
ent cannot be secured in sufficient
amount, hay and forage crops are
too valuable for feed for the aver
age man to turn under often. but
on the contrary, corn and cotton
stalks are not usually fed but in
stead are cut, piled and burned. This
constant decrease of organic matter
in cultivated soils makes it impera-
tive that we resort to every possible
means for returning VeeetatlVe mai
ter to the soil We cannot afford to
lose the annual crop of stalks by
burning. In urging the turning un-
der of all stalks the Experiment
Station men are often met with the
complaint that it is difficult to turn
the stalks under satisfactorily. The
following description of a case,
which is only one where large stalks
are turned under, may serve as an
example of what can be done. \
field of corn at the Mena Sub-Sta-
ton of the Arkansas Experiment
Station this year produced sixty
bushels of corn to the acre. The
corn was planted in check row,
three and one-half feet each way,
with two stalks to the hill. The
stalks were strong and stood from
eight to ten feet high. These stalks
were turned under in November.
Two methods of handling the
stalks We're tried. In the first case
several rows were dragged down flat
in the direction in which the pillow
was to run. Since these were
found rather difficult to turn under
satisfactorily, this method was
abandoned.
The second plan was to allow the
stalks to remain standing. \ COM
mon two-horse IA inch turning pillow
was used. A piece of log chain with
a twO-pound weight on one end was
attached to the end of the pillow
beam and the loose end with the
weight was allowed to drag in the
soil just a few inches ahead of the
falling earth. The stalks were
pulled over into a reclining posi-
ton by the double tree. The pillow
turned the heavy roots into the bot
tom of the furrow and the chain
dragged the tops to the bottom,
where they were covered by the
furrow slice.
Ninety per cent of the stalks were
completely covered and all were left
in such condition that they will not
interfere next spring with the har-
vesting of the crop of winter oats
sown there.
In turning under the stalks from
this crop producing sixty bushels
of corn per acre. the following ma
terials were returned to the soil:
5000 lbs. organic matter.
10 lbs. nitrogen, worth $500.
6 lbs. phosphorus worth Soc.
60 lbs. potash, worth $3.50
Total value of mineral elements
returned TO the acre. Sli.60
The value of the organic matter
cannot be estimated.
BY the simple operation of break
ing the land we have AIDED sii.6O
worth of commercial fertilizer. TO-
gether with 5000 pounds of organic
matter for humus building The
cost of breaking has not been in
creased Wouldn't it have been the
worst form of extravaganza to have
paid men TO cut these stalks and
burn them and thus have allowed
the total destruction of this valu-
able supply Of plant food and hui
mus making material?