The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1914-05-28
WHAT SOIL SURVEY
MEANS TO YOU
LETTER WRITTEN c. S. LOWELL
BY COUNTY AGRICULTURAL
ADVISER
Tells Kind of Soil, Whether Rancid or
Not, Treatment of Same and
Crops to Grow

Referring to my visit to your farm
on April the 2lst beg to say that l
am inclosing soil map Of sections 26,
27 and "a of Kaneville Township, in
which your land is located, showing
the different types of soil in colors.
have inclosed your land by red lines.
"There are only three types of soil
in the whole Of the three sections.
These are number u, deep peat, num-
Der 81, black silt loan, and number 62,
brown silt loan. Only the latter two
types are found on your farm, and
only very small amount Of 81. This
type number 81 is a little patch of low
land in the southwest corner Of the
farm along the creek. We might say
you have just the one type, brown silt
loan.
"This is the ordinary upland prairie
soil and is the most desirable type
found in the county. 1t is adapted to
the growing Of all crops and by proper
management can be made highly pro-
ductive. As rule this type Of soil is
more or less sour, especially the higher
portions Of it. We found this to be
true in the little field of alfalfa near
the buildings. No doubt all Of the
land east Of the road is equally as
sour. As we did not test the soil west
Of the road l cannot say as to whether
it is sour or not, but from what l
learned from your description of it,
l would judge that it is not sour.
Where the land is distinctly sour such
special crops as clover and alfalfa do
not do their best. do not think your
land is SO sour that fair crops Of even
clover or alfalfa cannot be grown, but
it would certainly be profitable to use
limestone at least on the alfalfa, and
you would probably find it profitable
to use it also on the land for clover.
"This type Of soil is also usually
somewhat deficient in phosphorous.
Where the land has been cared for as
yours has, not a great deal Of phos-
phorous leaves the farm, but still there
is a loss no matter what system Of
farming is practiced. Much more
PHOSPHORUS leaves the farm where
the grain is sold than where the
crops are fed to live stock, aid only
the finished product sold. I an Of
the opinion that you could use pho.-
phorous at the present time on your
land east Of the road. The land west
Of the road being heavier land natur-
ally contains more PHOSPHORUS, and it
will be longer time before its use is
necessary. 1t is hard to say what
form of PHOSPHORUS ought to be used.
Fine ground raw rock phosphate is un-
questionably the cheapest form and
the results sofar secured would indi-
cate that in the end it will give just as
good results. 1t may be that quicker
acting form, rs acid phosphate or
steam bone meal would be more prof
table, especially for the time being.
1t would not take a great deal to sup
ply the amount lost from the farm in
your system of farming. 1000 pounds
Of fine ground raw rock phosphate per
acre once every five or six years would
probably supply all that you would
need. This would mean an expenditure
Of three or four dollars per acre once
every five or six years. 1t would re-
quire such small increase in the crop
yield to pay for the material that l
have no doubt whatever but what you
would get two or three dollars back
for every dollar expended. You would
probably not be able to detect any diff
ference in the yield from the use Of
PHOSPHORUS for few years, espec-
tally where your land will produce 60
or 20 bushels Of corn without phos-
phorous. The results Of the expert
ments conducted by the University Of
Illinois on similar types of land show
that raw rock phosphate has increased
the yield Of corn rs an average of
about 10 bushels per acre after the
first four or five years Of its use, and
this on land where manure has also
been applied. and where the yield Of
corn varied from 60 to 20 bushels per
acre without phosphorous. II you de-
eide to seed another field Of alfalfa, I
would strongly recommend the use of
some phosphate on the land.
"The most dihicult problem Of main
Concluded on Page Four