The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-07-20

u Il ia Z |
ginning to decline in productivity, was
tnat they looked after returning to
the SOIL IN the most economical way
possible the plant-food removed bv |
crops, While we went on, as it were. |
mining the fertility Of our soils, giving |
no attentlon whatever to the matter
until nature Sternly impressed us with
the fact that something was wrong
by the giving up of less and less
Dounteous harvests. Since the meth
odS OF SOIL management practiced by
our fOrefatherS, and unfortunately
now too generally in use, have not led
to the maintaining of the fertility Of
SOILS, the question then materially
arises as to how the modern farmer
must handle his soil in order to secure
large and remunerative yields and al
the same time not exhaust, but rather
increase its plant food supply When
this is done. then, and not until then.
will be inaugurated a system Of agri-
culture hat will be prepared to meet
the present demands upon it and that
Will be OF a permanent nature because
hased upon sound scientific principles.
What Are The Essentials?
In order to maintain any soil in a
highly productive state, the soil
should always be kept in a good physi-
cal condition and the amount of avail
b plant food present should at all
times be sufficient for the production
Of maximum yields. To secure these
essentials, the and should be we'll
prepared before the crop is put in
and then persistent and intelligent
cultivation given after the crop is
planted; "a system of rotation should
be adopted that will keep the land
covered with a growing crop practi-
cally throughout the year and the rO-
tation or rotations be so constituted
and the crops Of the rotations SO
handled that not only the organic
matter supply Of the soil is main
tanned but practically all the nitrogen
for all the crops in the rotation is
supplied by the leguminous crops OF
the rotations and by the manure Sc
cured from feeding of the crops; and
the necessary mineral constituent
such as potash, and phosphoric aci6
as we'll as of lime be added from com
mercial sources as are required of the
former two to keep up the supply O.
these in the soil to meet the need.
of the plants and Of the latter tt
maintain the soil in a proper physica
condition, and to supply the lacking
amount of this constituent for full
t healthy plant growth.
Preparation, Cultivation and Rotation
/ Speaking from the standpoint of tn,
> fertility Of the soil, good preparation
l u liz SSSu-Dcu DIS well DIS lnOTOUSI
+; cultivation during the growth Of tn
crop will have a tendency to facilitat,
the exhaustion of the plant food re
serve Of the soil unless proper meas
: ures are taken to obviate this by tn
addition Of fertilizing constituents il
e sufficient amounts to keep up the re
: serve in soluble form. 1t should b
remembered. too, that no system O
n rotation Of crops can be used if tn
I rrOn9 arc rorOvoH from tho coil hy1
t what will gradually exhaust one o
more Of the mineral plant foo con
It Stituents Of the soil if provision is nc
made for replacing these, the create
the exhaustion being, the larger tn
amount Of grain and other farm pro
h ducts sold from the farm; and the les
the amount, the more the crops ar
h fed on the farm and the care
fully conserved and returned to til
soil.
# In the case Of the nitrogen and o.
n ganic, their supply in the soil, may
1t maintained, or even increased, by tf
IS adoption Of systems of rotation
10 which legumes such as the clover
vetch, cowpeas. soy-beans, ETC., fr'
quently occur, which at the lea
20 something like one-half of all IL
Il leguminous crops of the rotations a.
Il plOWed into the soil for soil imprOv,
70 ment.
"a How Soil Fertility Is Lost.
e. AS indicated above, when crops a
lie sold a certain amount Of the avail
able plant-food constituents of II
r soil is thereby carried from the far
in the crops sold. If this is kept l
IN long enough. there will after a viii
10 be reached a point after which II
productivity of the soil will begin
IN decline. Generally the chief reast
n for this decline is due to the fact tn
to each bushel of grain or pound Of h;
DID taken away contains certain amount
in p~hosphoric acid, potash and nitroge
er and after so long a time the amou
he Of these in available form in the 81
o. is so reduced that it is absolutely IL
possible for maximum crops TO De pr
nd duced on the particular sou, matte
NO not how favorable the season or he
ret good the cohui-lon u .