The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1914-04-18


Generally the most profitable type
Of farming for Kentucky is one in
which part of the farm crops are sold
for cash and part fed to stock. Wheat
and tobacco are the ordinary cash
crops. while corn, hay, and oats are
the crops fed. BY feeding these prod
ucts, the farmer has usually been able
to secure a little better profit than II
he sold them for cash.
With the high prices which corn and
hay have been bringing during the last
few years, however. the profits from
feeding stock have been rather small.
In some cases, the only gain has been
in the value of the manure secured.
1t is very true that large percent
age OF the farm lands of Kentucky
can not be profitably farmed without
live stock. Such Is the case with prac-
tically all billy lands. Increased profits
from these lands will come only when
more of the area is kept In grass and
fewer acres cultivated. The proven
ton of erosion when hill lands are cul-
tlvated is nearly impossible, and ero-
sion means such rapid loss of plant
food that fertility can not be profltably
maintained.
Fertility Without Stock.
Animal manures always have played
an important part in maintaining pro-
ductiveness, and this has led to the be-
lief held by many farmers that fertil-
ity can not be maintained without
them. This brings up the question as
to whether this is true or not. Must
the farmer feed stock for the sake OF
the manure, even K he makes no profit
otherwise. or can he devise a system
OF farming where fertility can be main,
tanned without animal manures? II
this can be done, there are doubtless
many men who would keep little stock,
even IL they could not realize quite as
much profit from their farms. Stock
farming requires more capital than
grain farming, not only because of the
value of the stock, but because more
buildings and fences are required. In
addition, some men find no pleasure in
raising stock and the enforced conflne
ment to the farm, that the care OF
stock necssitates, is irksome and un
pleasant to them. Before trying Ia
answer these questions it will be well
to consider briefly some of the prin
clples OF soil fertility in order to learn
what the chief functions OF manure
are, so we can decide as to It's neces
sity in the maintenance OF fertility.
Soils originally fertile become un
productive usually because nitrogen
phosphorus. calcium. potassium or or
ganic matter become deficient. The
nitrogen OF the soil is practically all
contained in the organic matter, and
a deficiency OF organic matter usually
accompanies a deficiency of nitrogen
Organic matter furnishes nitrogen, i'm
proves the physical condition OF soils
gives them greater water-holding ca
pacity, and causes other elements oil
plant food to become available more
rapidly. 1t is perhaps the most i'm
portant constituent Of every fertile
soil. The supply can be maintained
only by returning part OF the plant
growth to the soil, either as anima
manure or in other forms.
Potassium is a mineral element, and
nearly all Kentucky soils contain
enough for all crop requirements
Where organic matter is deficient, pc
tassium may not become available
rapidly enough for plant use. The
remedy is to increase the amount Of
organic matter.
PHOSPHORUS and Calcium.
Phosphorus is another mineral ele
ment. In the Bluegrass section the
soils contain sufficient for present
plant requirements, and probably
enough to last for many years. All the