Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-09-02
STATE IS TELLING
FARMERS Of SOILS
Important State Publication Shortly
to Be Issued For Use of the
Agriculturalists
WORK OF STATE EXPERTS
Suggestions For Conservation of
the Soil Will Abound in
the New Publication

Just as an illustration of what the
! Keystone State is doing for it's farm
! ers. in spite of what may be said by
Vance c. Mccormick to the contrary
| proofs are now being read on the
hrst complete description of the soils
/ of Pennsylvania, one of the most inn
! portant of the educational publica-
| tions to be issued by the State De-
partment of Agriculture and it is ex-
| pected that 1t will be ready within a
short time. The study of the soils
was made by direction of Secretary
of Agriculture N. b. Critchfield in re-
sponse to many requests for first hand
| information about the possibilities of
| the soil of Pennsylvania and what
steps should be taken to conserve it.
The study will be issued in two vol
umes and is the work of experts with
data from State Geological Surveys
and the assistance of G. p. Bliss.
united States weather observer, at
Philadelphia and other men.
The foreword, which sums up the
purpose of this valuable publication
for the farmers of the State, is as fol-
lows:
The purpose of the bulletin is to
bring to the farmers, a plain and sim
pie statement of the soils of the var
ious counties and townships, as well
as localities in townships throughout
| and adaptation of the soils of the var
1ous sections. No effort is made at
scientific discussions, and all terms
with which the average farmer is not
familiar, insofar as possible, have
| been eliminated and plain simple
statements to convey the .deas intend
ed have been used. The natural meth
DDS of soil Improvement have been ad
vocated, that of having growing
plant on the land at all times. and
INSOFAR as possible, a soil improve
ment plant instead of soil exhaust
ing one. These crops have been ad-
vocated in numerous sections in
which they have never been raised:
but from the examination of the soil
and the prevailing climatic conditions.
the author is convinced after the soils
nave been improved by raising and
plowing down, or better still feeding
the less exacting leguminous crops
such as sweet clover, or the cowho"n
| turnip and other less exacting va
rletles or the root crops, and rye
among the cereal grains, and apply-
ing the manure the land will pro
duce the more exacting Fall and
Spring sown, long and short season
| legumes as well as the more eXacting
root and cereal crops.
The livestock industry, with all it's
accessories, dairying, the production
I VI DSSl, ldHlD, mutton ana WOOL, eSDe-
cially pork, wherever soil, climatic
and market conditions justify such
| Undertakings together with the ar
rangements of rotations for raising
/ both the leguminous and cereal crops
! for feeding the animals to yield the
! largest returns as well as for produc-
! ing the largest quantity of manure
and other roughage to be returned to
the soil, to maintain and increase its
fertility, are advocated. That there
are soil and climatic conditions un-
der which crops are produced espe-
cially suited for certain phases of the
| livestock industry. is well illustrated
in the southwestern and western sec
tions of the State where the blue grass
pasture will produce a superior grade
of wool and more vigorous stronger
boned horses than in any other section
of the State. Such soil and climatic
conditions should be utilized wherever
possible. Little is said about the uses
of artificial fertilizer and lime be-
cause the department has issued sew
eral bulletins on the uses of these ma
terials to which the reader is re-
| ferred."