The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-10-27

ments: CD That the land is worn
out because of the single cropping
method, and CD that if farmers
would put or another kind Of crop,
they can expect to get a big crop, for
it is now known that the actual
amount of fertility removed by each
particular crop does not vary suffi-
GENTLY with reference to the differ
ent kinds of chemical fertility to &C
count for the wonderful Improvement
which some schemes Of soil tillage
and rotation give.
Neither could anyone explain why
these best schemes fail at times, but
the new light which comes from the
study Of biology of seed and soil sani-
tation gives a reason which any clear
thinker a understand. It tells very
Iplainly why a proper rotation, prop
erly arranged and consistently follow
| ed, gives good results; why one must
compost farm manures because such
composing processes destroy para
| site fungi and root troubles, as well
as weed seeds. 1t explains why pro-
per summer tillage, in dry land re-
gions, gives good results, because such
tillage not only prepares a good seed
he'd, but purtfies the soil SO worked
from the inherent root diseases in the
same sense as it purifies it from
weeds. eve find this to be true by
actual laboratory studies Of soil con-
| tent with reference to these diseases.)
1t explains why some farmers have
| spoiled good summer fallow or prairie
landsfor the production of good quality
wheat, flax, ETC., by the simple addi-
ton of small amounts of barnyard
manures which were spread In the
fresh state. It explains why some
farmers have spread fresh manures
and yet have good results. ct depends
upon the kind Of fungi which happens
to be in the manure.)
1t gives a good reason why certain
methods of soil packing prove bene-
fetal. Such processes not only tend
to conserve moisture but they firm
down the ground in such form that the
roots of the young crop plants are
properly protected, and being properly
protected from wind and drought con-
ditions, they have more resistance to
these semi-parasitic roo troubles.
Further, by laboratory studies, we find
that these root destroying fungi are
practically all aerobic (air loving),
and do not largely increase in well
composted soil.
1t explains Why seed treatment for
smut is always beneficial even though
no smut be present. 1t explains why
proper seed selection is highly bene-
fetal because plump, heavy weight,
normal seed is not so apt to be in
t~ernally diseased. (Sorne farmers,
after careful summer following, rota-
ton and soil publication, have spoiled
all that work by introducing thereon
seeds of wheat or other cereals, no
one Of which were free from internal
disease.)
This philosophy of soil and seed
sanitation explains why the new
p~rairies which vet remain unbroken,
but are SURROUNDED by old Wheat
lands cannot now be made to yield by
ordinary farm methods, seed OF
weight and quality n color similar
to that raised on the original virgin
lands. (The black pointed seeds, the
white bellied seeds, many types OF
~shrivelling and many characters which
are often commonly spoken of as
blistering or bleaching, are character
istic of certain d~iseases.)
The limits of this paper cannot all
low a statement OF all the relations
of soil and seed biology to present
lNeii k~noWncropping methods. but there