The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1915-02-05
SOIL BOUND TO WEAR OUT.
System Of Farming in South Dakota
WaStsful.

$500 49,
ues her wasteful system Of farming II
is only a matter of a comparatively
short time when our soils will wear
out, like those of some eastern states,
where farm after farm has been aban-
doned." This statement vas made by
Ellwood Chap9ell perisho. president of
the South Dakota State college, before
a combination meeting Of the associa-
tons Of corr 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 t~Illinois. Wisconsin, Iowa
and others) are. under the common
system of farming, losing their fertiii.
ty at the enormous rate of Il to 3 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's resources
are magnificent. "For a million years
nature worked ~withoutrest and with
Out fatigue that she might. in a far
away future age, endoW this common
wealth of ours with a great forest. a
magnificent river. rich ore beds, and
greatest 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 legumes, 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 1000 ,0OC
pounds. and in this same acre there
were originally 5000 pounds Of nitro.
4 S1u. -f,uoO POultuo W potassium liz
perhaps 1900 pounds of phosphorus
Each bushel of wheat will take out Of
the soil almost IL pounds of nitrogen
a bushel of corn l paund and a bushel
of oats 23 of a pound. When South
wheat it means that $50. 0OO, 900 pounds
Of nitrates valued at rs cents a pound)
are taken from the soil of the state
Nov oil - 80 cnfn IN nC{t,ypofa
that in one year the state loses $50,
600 900 worth Of nitrogen alone"
President Parisho carried on the
analysis with potassium and phosphor
us and showed that it is only a ques.
tiCn 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 q
very slight amount. a ton of alfalfa
will store up in the soil at least 50
pounds of nitrogen. a ton Of clover 4C
pounds and fully as much by growing
a vi vi SWCCl ii0NEi. ~ 10 HOt u IL
ficult matter to calculate how many
IONS 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 ACCESSIBILITY 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 Of a country ex.
cept its soil. "Americans should re.
member that when this wal is over
the first great enterprise to be re.
snmed will be agriculture. When that
day comes those now stricken coun
tries of Europe will be ready to send
their provisions to the people of the
world. # for no other reason except
a selfish one. America should stop sell
ing Europe, for each day Of the wa,
adds to the certainty Of a smaller Ell.
ropean market and makes it all the
more certain that the fields of this
country will have to compete with the
more cheaply produced agricultural
products Of the old world"