Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1913-10-24

careful study of conditions throughout the what hole
shows very strlkngy several very undesirable conditions ~
corresponding needs. First our system of continuous 60;
growing Is resulting gradual depletion of the soil bumn
ms seen Id the greater tendency of soil run together
ana Dake and to wash during fall winter rains in its
reduced capacity for absorbing moisture and in the voyb
spndhng growth of grain exhibited in striking contrast
wherever an old fencerow has been thrown into cultivation o
animals have left their droppngs In the semarid belt this
deterioration evidenced the greater tendency of the light
soils to drift When grain crops are removed from the soil
the hums hat produced from the decayng grain roots and
stubbe is not equivalent amount of humus used nm in
the SOIL the production OF the crop The inevitable result
therefore, OF continuous growing the gradual epton
Of soil humus.
Nearly half the acreage our great wheat region is in
summer falow each year, representing idle capital This is
the dest parts the wheat region but unite
large area OF our wheat belt receives sufficient rainfall to
gro" gooo crops every year when precautions taken
moisture In this portion of the wheat belt the
idle summer fallow unnecessary means great loss
reasonable interest the present valuation of the land
amounts TO rent Tor the summer faow that many
Will Almost not quite cancel the supposed profit from the
wheat diversified system farming including
soil improving and forage crops that the soil NAV
be maintained in sufficient fertility insure good crop each
year. and sustain livestock all the peas etc.
that may be grown the summer fallow.
The serious labor conditions that usually accompany
strictly system growing year Conges
ton of labor certain periods forces high wages for nef
Gent transient labor with almost entire time for large
portions of the for the farmer himself we'll
pensive farming equipment
Unsatisfactory conditions country are largely due to
increasingly large farms correspondngly scattered and
diminishing rural population
In the driest portion of considerable land is
being actually abandoned because it getting badly
of condition drift badly and be safely
longer by old methods
All these points simply emphasize dire necessity
Producing crop that will put soil back into condition
the greatest possible the undesirable
conditions mentioned above One of the valuable plants
available for such improvement alfalfa Gradually has
been introduced during the last fifteen twenty years until
less alfalfa grown in every community of the
Inland Empire where rainfall exceeds twelve inches Alfalfa
possesses many valuable characteristics
L. 1t produces large aproots which bore fifteen feet
drained soil produce by decay a large
hunus which distributed throughout cubic
inch of SOIL considerable depth exactly where 1t will do the
most good Soil examinations Indicate that water down
rapidly decayed alfalfa sod than similar soil
that has not grown alfalfa This humus only
capacity the soil absorb moisture but
better circulation and hastens the chemical changes
Of the soil that tor development
of available plant
z. "a nitrogen gathering plant. 1t has the
power through aid Of bacteria take
free nitrogen the Hence an alfalfa crop leaves the
soil nitrogen when powed than when
seeded Nitrogen the element that gives vegetation rank
green healthy appearance when abundance
deficiency OF nitrogen causes pae Spndllng sroWtn
that bring the free nitrogen OF the air into soil and
profit while accommodating this essential ele
ment At the usual commercial value of nitrogen the free
nitrogen above quarter section of land would be
worth billion dollars Every farmer has it within his power
to draw upon this without giving mortgage in
return
g. The perennial character of alfalfa its great ability to
resist drouth remarkable tendency to make contnu
GUS growth whenever warmth and moisture enough to
make anything grow make it of the best aaround
forage plants for Empire Its remarkable adapt
ability to irrigated sections of state and the high develop
ment of alfalfa growing in those sections render discussion
of alfalfa under irrigation in this bulletin
Alfalfa fits into the general scheme of rural Improvement
in the wheat belt in several ways:
l. By growing alfalfa for two three years in every
decade the fertility soil satisfactorily maintained
g reasonable furnishes abundant spring pasture to
maintain stock needed the waste from grain fields
and such crops as corn peas that be grown on sum-