The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1915-02-05
SOIL BOUND TO WEAR OUT.
System Of Farming in South Dakota
Wastefui.


ues her wasteful system Of farming ii
is only matter of a comparatively
short time when our soils will veal
out. like those OF some eastern states.
where farm after farm has been aban.
doned This statement was made by
Ellwood Chappell Perisho president OF
the South Dakota State college. before
combination meeting OF the associa-
tons OF corn and grain growers. live
stock breeders and poultry raiSers at
Mitchell
President PeriShO asserted that eX-
perts show that some of our best west
ern states illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa
and others) are. under the common
system Of farming, losing their fertili-
ty at the enormous rate of J., to ) per
cent annually. This is a serious con,
dition and one which confronts South
Dakota as we'll as the other states
mentioned. South Dakota resources
are magnificent For a million years
nature worked withoutrest and with
out fatigue that she might in far
away future age. endow this common
wealth Of ours with a great forest, a
magnificent river. rich ore beds. and
2reat est of all, a rich. magic mantle OF
soil up from which will yearly grow
the greatest wealth Of many a state"
In order to show how the fertility
OF the soil might be maintained, Pres
ident Perisho first explained that in
addition TO the common foods. plants
require three important elements:
Nitrogen. to give size to vegetable
growth
Potassium, is give strength to plant
life
Phosphorus, to give maturity to our
crops
The nitrogen may be obtained" he
said. from lcgumes, such as alfalfa,
clover. COW peas etc, the potassium
from ashes manures and decayed rock
material; and the phosphorus only
from bones, manures, and rock phos.
pateS.
AN acre Of our soil seven inches
deep weighs approximately 100000
pounds, and in this same acre thTe
gen. 24,000 pounds Of potassium and
perhaps 1900 pounds of phosphorus.
Each bushel Of wheat will take out Of
the soil almost ~ pounds Of nitrogen,
a bushel Of corn | pound and bushel
Of oats % of a pound. When South
wheat it means that $4,000. 900 pounds
of nitrates valued at 25 cents a pound)
are taken from the soil Of the state
For all crops it is safe to estimate
that in one year the state loses $50,
600, 900 worth OF nitrogen alone"
President Persho carried on the
analysis with potassium and phOSphOr-
us and showed that it is only a ques-
tiOn of arithmetic TO demonstrate con-
| clusively how long the fertility Of any
! farm would last if man did not come
to the rescue OF the soil while grow
ing his crops. Mature does nearly
all the work. furnishes without price
| the greater part of the fertility and
only asks that man should assist to a
very slight amount A ton Of alfalfa
will store up in the soil at least 50
! pounds Of nitrogen. a ton OF clover 40
! pounds and fully as much by growing
a ton Of sweet clover. 1t is not diff
| ficult matter to calculate how many
tons of alfalfa should be grown every
| year in South Dakota to maintain the
present standard Of fertility-so far
! as nitrogen is concerned
President Perisho threw grave
doubts upon the advisability Of the
American nation continuing her pres
ent policy Of selling to European arm
| les not only munitions Of war but also
! horses and provisions. War will de-
! stroy every resource Of a country ex-
cept its soil "Amercans should re-
member that when this war is over
the first great enterprise to be re-
| sumed will be agriculture. When that
day comes tirose now stricken coun-
atstsae ssss ssf,l te ready to send
3tlfeirt pyBvfsion s.:3to the people of the
worla4.t1f tor npt other reason except
a SELFISH one. Anierica should stop sell
ing, Europe for each day of the wa,
addsatO The certainty OF a smaller Eu-
/ rOpean, l,larhet- and makes it all the
+ niape.. certain that the fields or this
cohfltry will have to compete with the
t:r1ofet eheaply produced agricultural
| rrgalIcts Of the old world