The record., 1913-06-05
Rotation as a Factor in Soil Improve
mert

Muhlenberg County at the present
day, is that of increasing the fertiIi
ty of the soil and al the same time
to get revenue from the land to
Justify the expense incurred. In a
great many instances The once rich
and fertile soil, which Nature was
thousands of years building up, has
been made non productive by the
one crop system, and of growing to-
bacco. In the production of crops
on the average farm in Muhlenberg
County, the practice has been to
follow the plan of working the land
to its greatest limit, taking every
thing out of it, selling all the fertili-
ty possible, without the slightest
thought or care of making any ade-
quate return to its original fertility.
The conditions as found in this
county are typical of the entire coun-
try, and at the present time is the one
most talked of subjects turnout the
entire land We have labored and
worked from sun rise TO sun set, day
in and day out, and have remained
poor because we would not combine
brain with muscle in our farm oper-
atoms. When the the soil was fer
tile We could plow shalloS and Gull
tivate our crops with out any regard
to the fundamental principles OF the
laws Of good agriculture and yet
reap a comparatively rich harvest.
But The day of virgin land has gone
and We stand as spoilers, facing our
crime with necessity staring us in the
face. This lost fertility can again
be restored but 1t will require hard
labor aud intelligent man ,gement;
yet IL can be done aud Is Being ac-
compiished IN other sectiJas oi the
country. The purpose of the Sc
short articles is to help in a small
way, TO point out IN an humble way,
the path To success and To better
farming.
There ale several ways or systems
OF farming by which our depleted
soils may be again restored to their
original fertility, such as the rotation
of crops, some of which will be
plowed under, to add vegetable
matter to the soil; the growing Of le-
guminous crops, as COW peas, soy
beans aud the clovers, to add nitro
gen; the raising of live stock, to con
sumo the raw products. such as hay
and grain, into marketable products,
as milk, cream butter, mutton, pork
and beef. By adopting a perman-
ent system of farming. where crop
rotation plays prominent part, the
fertility and the productiveness of
the soil is always on the increase.
Crop rotation alone cannot main
tain the fertility of the soil, because
we are always taking away with
out putting anything back. If we
adopt a rotation that allows organic
matter to be plowed under, as fur.
nished by the COW peas, the clovers
and the manure produced by the
feeding and bedding of live stock,
the humus content will be increased
and the productive power of the
soil can be maintained and perhaps
increased beyond its original fertil
ity.
In selecting crops for our rotation,
the matter Of root development,
should receive attention. Some
crops, as Red Top and Timothy,
feed near the surface, while the
roots Of the clover and the COW peas,
penetrate the soil moderately deep.
At glance it can be seen, that these
several crops draw their nourishmen,
from the soil in their own partlcu,
lar regions. Because of this fact,
it is best to plan a rotation with
crops having different roo, develop
ment. so that all parts of the sol
may be drawn upon to furnish
plenty OF food.
In planning a rotation We mus
be guided to certain extent b,
our individual conditions; yet at tn,
same time We must follow out tn,
cardinal piinciI les involved In orde
to receive the greatest benefit. w,
must have at least one cultivate,
crop, so that the weeds may be de
stroyed aud the filth of the soil i'm
proved. One leguminous crop, t,
be fed to live stock or p,owed unde
IN order to add organic matter an,
{ in addition to this, because by tn
decomposition of its great root sys
TEN, large stores OF fertility ar
brought up from the subsoil and hb
Grated. Having as 1t does, the pow