The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-26
SOME SOIL TESTS;
HOW TOMAKE THEM
Old Idea About Analysing Soils
Has Been Exploded for
Some Time.
TESTING ONLY SURE WAY
Tells What Is in Land-Farmer
Needs to Know What
Isn't There.
ny g.. w. l<OISEU.
Commissioners.

The Old idea that one may analy1o
soil and thcreby supply needed Gle
nIcnts in the exact proportions to best
supply the demands Of the growing
plant was abandoned years ago.
Letters and samples are still coming
In. requesting analyses of soils. not
withstandinS the Virginia State De-
partment of Agriculture has published
in bulletins that an analysis OF the
soil was OF nos practical value to tho
farmer. An acre OF soil may show a
ton OF PHOSPHORUS by actual analysis.
yet the same soil may not have enough
of this element available to grow Il
twenty bushcl crop of corn. All the skill
of modern science has been directed
toward finding Il method OF soil. analy-
sis that is practical in actual farm
practice. Scientists are still working
on the problem. The chemist can tell
the amount OF ingredients tho soil
contains. but he cannot tell how much
Is soluble That is, how much will dis
solve in soil water; and this is the
information the farmer desires.
WHAT TO PuT IN THE
LAND THE VITAL QUESTION
In order to determine the kind OF
fertilizers to use the land it can
only be settled by making field expert
ments. The soil not only differs great
~ in different sections OF the State.
but in the same county you will find all
the types Of soil that occur in tho
state. You can go even further than
that; on the same farm you will find
tho same fact is true: in one field the
soil requires Il certain fertilizer to Sc
cure the best results, and in another a
different treatment is necessary. As
before stated, this can only be de-
termined by experiments. Now and
then we find farmer who has. say,
about an acre of ground which he de-
votes TO fertilizer and crop tests. This
is Il good practice. and is very help
ful, and 1t will pay any farmer to make
these tests which will be a splendid
way of determining the action OF the
fertilizers on these soils, but the most
practical way is to make field tests,
Many farmers hesitate to do so. think
ing the trouble is too great This Is n
mistakes for instance, if the wheat
crop is to be seeded it will take no
| great additional time TO SOW strip
with one grade OF fertilizer: another
section with Il different mixture; and
SO on. leaving Il strip untreated. With
little trouble and care mo: Z extended
experiments can be made which would
prove OF still greater value In ascer-
tanning what your field and crop needs.
ONE GOOD WAY TO
MAKE THOROUGH TESTS
Select say, seven plots or strips of
land in field and number them from
one 10 seven. Sow on No. / nitrogen
| with tho crop. on No . nitrogen and
phosphoric acid, on No. nitrogen and
, Dotash, on No. nitrogen. phosphoric
a cid and potash. on No. potash. on
No 6 phosphroic acid. and on No.
70 fertilizer.
The great advantage in field tests of
this kind is that all the fertilizers are
used exactly under the same meth cd
OF cultivation and climatic conditions
with the same rainfall.
1t is very common to hear farmer
! say lie used 4 certain kind OF fertilizer
which contained Il certain analysis one
year and got splendid results, and the
next year the returns were very poor
The fertilizer may have contained tho
same ingredients, but the seasons fire.
qucntly make the difference, conse-
duently when the different fertilizer
tests on the same crop are made the
same year, then we can draw some
practical and definite conclusions
1t may be remarked that the above
was submitted by the writer to the
United States Department OF Agricul-
ture and Endorsed.