The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1914-03-06
A farm WASTE
OF sSoo,ooo,ooo
It Is Due to Allowing the Soil
to Go Stale.
CROPS TAKE PLANT FOODS.

Lack Of the Proper Fertilization
Proves Costly Oversight - Rotation
One Of the Best Ways to Keep Land
In Good Condition.
d. 8. Lake, instructor in agriculture,
addressing tie students of farming at
Columbia university, New York, on fer
tilizers and the Importance of keeping
the soil from going stale, said that the
annual waste In the United States. due
to the farmers neglect Of this part of
his business, amounted to 100000, 900.
There probably is no other asset in
Uncle Sans domain that is so valua-
Bile, so potential for the welfare of all
his people with respect to the common
neceSsaries Of life and general happi-
ness, as the farm stuff we call the
SOIL" said Mr.. Lake. Few of the peo-
pie who anticipate cultivating it re-
alize the care they should give it to
keep up its producing power. Judging
from their regular farm practice. few
farmers realize that the growing of
crops depletes the soil of its most es-
sential plant food elements-nitrogen
phosphorus and potassium. When
these plant foods of the soil have
reached the profitless crop point how
many farmers and would be farmers
can go to work intelligently to recon
struct normal, fertile, productive soil?
as it fully realized that the excel
lent tillage of the soil is very impor-
tant factor in aiding commercial fer
tilizers to produce the fine crops shown
in the Illustration? In soil manage
ment 1t should never be forgotten that
the old operation of tillage. whereby
the soil Is made mellow, open and por-
GUS, made more capable of absorbing
and holding water. made to yield up
its plant food elements more readily to
the plant, can never be dispensed with.
CLOSELY connected with tillage is the
presence Of organic matter in the soil.
The majority Of our soils lack organic
matter. Commercial plant food may
for season or two produce fairly good
results on soils somewhat depleted in
organic matter. But this cannot go on
indefinitely. It'has been said that or
ganic matter of soil more than any
other soil constituents affects crop
growth-that where Is per cent to 20
per cent organic matter is present in
soils thes distinction between sands,
loan and clay disappears.
Prevents Droughts.
Organic matter as a result of its
porosity enables a soil to hold large
amounts Of water, thereby increasing
the drought resistance of a soil. Or
ganic matter as result of its chem
zeal nature sets free certain organic
acids, which in turn act on the insolu-
BILE mineral compounds found in the
soil, thus unlocking hitherto unavaila-
BILE nitrogen for the majority of plants,
and, finally. through the principle Of
absorption, it prevents losses from
teaching of phosphorus and potash and
evaporation of ammonia.
"a depleted soil is in absolute need
Of the simple thing which we know as
lime Often we read the statement:
"A lime country Is rich country. The
basis for such statement is chiefly
found in the indirect influences on the
soil. Lime will make clay soil more
open and friable, but will cement more
closely the particles of loose, sandy
soil. Lime acts on the insoluble po-
tassium and phosphorus compounds OF
the soil, liberating often for long Pc
riod an abundance of these elements
for the best crop growth. On heavy
soils where there is an abundance OF
organic matter lime hastens the decom-
position of this organic matter, which
process Is often rather slow on such
soils. Lime makes some soils sweet
by neutralizing acids in the soil.
1.-The last. but not least, important
factor which should be considered in
building up depleted soil is crop ro-
tation. No farmer can expect to sue
coed without rracticing suitable crop