South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-02-26
F. !. Mann, Noted as Scientific
AgriCulturiSt, Says Ancients
Didn't Know How to Feed
Growing Plants.
FARMERS GATHER HERE
FOR ANNAUkL INSTITUTE
BOrdner, Walton and Parding-
ton on Program at First
Days Session in Auditorium
of High School.

Cain and Abel and the other ances-
tors of the human race as farmers
used different methods of pl0wing. See
lected seeds. rotated crops and prac-
ticed many other methods of sciertidc
ia ming now in vogue. But why did
they not succeed in obtaining the
yields that are obtained today
That question is answered bv +.
Mann, OF Gilman, H., one OF the most
scientific farmers of the country.
who is IN South Bend 90 deliver au
address at the ST. Joseph county
farmers institute. He will speak Fri
day.
First, Mann says the ancients failed
TO maintain production because they
did not keep up the soil fertility. and
second. they did not know how to
feed crops. To feed crops requires
not only that the necessary chemical
elements be provided but that these
elements he made available To the
plant, Mann points ont
John ). Bordner, county agent was
the first on the program at the insti-
tute Thursday morning. using The
Past. Present and Future OF Agricul-
ture" as his subject Mr.. Bordncr
showed the early methods OF agricul-
ture, tracing the progress from the
early ages 10 the present time and
com pleted his address by Dointine ont
the brilliant future that 1T has before
it, providing the farmers viii co-op-
crate IN the necessary steps for the
most adequate Improvement
". NJ. Walton, jr.. of Laporte COun-
" addressed the assembly following
Mr.. BardneT, taking Horticulture as
his subject. He pointed out the prop
er methods Of caring for fruit trees.
urging spraying and scientific meth
DDS of pruning. a. r.. Pardiugtou
Detroit, vice president of the Lincoln
Highway association, was 10 be the
principal speaker of the afternoon.
talking on Good Roads"
Readings and music were furnished
by the following: NJ H. Willing
Laura Hagey, LaVerne Samson. Verna
Railsback. Grenville Tompsctt and
Mary Gerstbauer. The officers who
have charge are Henry II. Swain.
president, and l. :. Fickenscher. vice
president
Visited NOtre Dame Farm.
Mr. Mann, in company with c. Y
Gregory, editor Of the Prairie Farmer
and a noted agricultural writer. last
September visited the NOtre Dame
farm conducted by Brother Leo. TO
learn the secret of the enormous pro
duction on the university farms
crops than many farmers whose soil
was considered equally as fertile and
the experts came 20 learn how he did
it.
Mann is a graduate OF the Illinois
university Of agriculture and Brother
Leo follows the system recommended
by the experiment station OK this
school
The Illinois school utterly disregards
the use OF all artificial and manufac-
tured plant foods as impracticable in
establishing permanent system or
agriculture. Mann has studied soils
for 80 years He has given special at
tentiOn TO the study Of the root sys-
TEN OF the growing plant and the
trance location OF the plant food ele-
ments 70 the plant. Alr. Mann has
written one Of the most practical
books on the science Of agriculture, In
which he has traced the history Of
agriculture back 10 the time Of Cain
and Abel. lie shows how, from the
time OF Cain and Abel the art OF agri-
culture has been pracriCed ia every
country and under all climatic condi-
tiOns.
Why They Failed.
Different methods of plowing and
different amounts OF seed. rotation Of
crops in every possible com binarion
and for every possible purpose, selec-
tion and Improvement OF seed. adap-
tatiOn Of certain crops 10 certain
kinds OF soil were known 10 the an
clients. but the production was not
maintained nor the fertility Of the soil
preserved.
Mr.. Mann says that crops are not
made from nothing. bun that certain
chemical elements are as necessary lu
the growing crops as light and heat
and that some OF these elements must
be fed 90 the plant through the soil.
Feeding crops involves two PROPOSE
tions. one supplying the needed chemi-
cal elements, the other making these
elements available 10 the plant. he
says.
Here are some of his views on this
question.
Before plants can use the elements
Of plant food that may be lU rhe nat
uial soil or that may le applied iu ara
inert form. certain ulo-chrmical
changes caused by baCterla, must have
taken place that will make these ele-
ments available for plant growth 1Ir
Mann says there are different ways
In which this availability can be pro-
duced. but the one which should have
our immediate attention IN the prae-
teal agriculture comes from the ac-
tivities in the decomposition of orr
ganlc matter
Food Must BE Liberated
4 SOL might contain large Quaul-
ties Of all the elements OF plant food.
bat without some process OF liberation.
bv which this plant food can be made
available. DO would nor Dee fertile soil
Active organic matter ls the life of a
soil. literally as besides the chemical
changes necessary it produces the me-
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