The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-15
CLOVER HILL CLUB
AND ITS STUDIES
CONTINUED From First Page.)

NSohiuuoo r rom pIEbS Ed80sI
and other nonlegumos. Instead Of using
clover merely as soil stimulnnt In
systems OF ultimate land ruin. as Is
still tho common practice. 1t Is also
matter Of great economic Importance
that we should be able to utilize min
eral plant food as furnished by Ten
psssee phosphate rock by limestone
and tho potassium minerals present in
normal soils.
There are ten elementary substances
which bear the same relation to the
making of crops as bricks and mortar
bear to a we'll of masonry. If any one OF
these ten clements is entirely missing
II is impossible to grow grain
of wheat or corn, blade of grass
a leaf OF clover. Two elements-car-
bon and oNygen--are taken into the
plant from the air through the leaves:
hydrogen IS secured from water Az
sorbed by the roots. and iron and sui
phur are supplied by nature In abund-
ance. But the other five elements re-
Quire careful consideration if lands
arc to be kept fertile. These are po-
tassium. magnesium, calcium, phos-
phorus and nitrogon; and every land
owner ought to be as vel! acquainted
with these 1--WE elements as he is with
his Ave nearest neighbors. Instead or
this the average farmer has made tho
acquaintance of the fertilizer agent,
and instead OF purchasing what ne
moods for the permanent Improvement
of his soil. he buys what the agent
wants to cell. with the result that the
seller 10 enriched while the soil is
rnorely stimulated to greater poverty.
Feeding tho Earth.
Potassium Is one Of the abundant ele-
ments In nature; the average crust OF
the oarth contains l-2 per cent or
this element. II normal soil had the
A ~ IL
of IN acre ga inches deep would
contain $4,000 pounds OF potassium.
Normal soil docs contain $4,000 to 49,
900 pounds per acre. while less than
four pounds of potassium would be
added In application OF 200 pounds
of ordinary commercial fertilizer.
Tho Illinois system OF permanent
fertility does not provide for tho pur-
chase OF potassium. but II does provide
for. tho liberation of an abundance OF
that clement from tho incxhaustible
supply in tho soil. This liberation is
eccoInplishe ed by the action of decaying
organic matter plored under in the
FORM OF manure or crop residue, tnclud-
Ing legumes
Tho need OF calcium In the soil az
compared with potassium is Is 16 to /.
All lirnestones contain calcium. hence
ground limestone ia the cheapest form
OF applying calcium. Two tons per
dCro JOuT yours "Oulu DO ABOUT
right for normal dolls.
Phosphorus Is not usually present
An Virginia lands In sufficient quaint
ties for the production OF maximum
even good crops II can be purchased
I'm the form Of ground phosphate rock
at about cents e. pound. In the form
OF bone meal at 10 cents to 12 cents q
pound. and In tho form Of acid phosphate
at l2 cents 10 Is cents O pound
So far as Gan DO learned. the cheape
form is In rock phosphate: 1t should
be furnished at the ratio OF 1000 pounds
por acre every four years. and the first
application may be double this amount
TO advantage generally.
AS to nitrogen and organic matter
there is common opinion that the
growing OF clover enriches the soil In
nitrogen. and many believe that clover
in crop rotation will maintain the fer
tility OF the soil These opinions are
largely erroneous Tho mere growing
OF clover on normal soil does not en-
rich II. Even tho nitrogen is not In
creased unless the clover crop Is re-
turned to the soil either directly or N
farm manure. Rotation with corn, oats
and clover depleteg the soil OF all Inn
portant elements Of fertility and even
tually leads TO the land ruin OF nor
NAL soils. Clever takes large amounts
OF calcium and phosphorus from the
soil and docs not increase tho nitrogen
content IL only the roots and stubble
are left To Increase or maintain the
nitrogen and organic matter OF the
soil Is tho great problem OF agricul-
ture In an hours time one can spread
enough limestone or phosphate on an
acre OF land TO provide for largo crops
Of wheat corn. oats or clover for ten
or twenty years. while to supply the
nitrogen over the same length OF time
would require from twenty to forty
tons OF clover or from eighty to $50
tons of farmyard manure. to be added
TO tho same acre OF land. evon though
one Of the four crops harvested Sc
CURED It's nitrogen from the air.
The Way OF IL
How, then. do wo continue TO grow
Buch crops as we dot BY working the