The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1916-03-16
REPORTS ON SOIL
IMPROVEMENT WORK
Building Up Deficient Land is
Important Phase of County
Agriculturist's Efforts

The objects of this project as writ
ten out in the plan for the years work
are: under irrigation, to improve the
water holding capacity and fertility of
the soils by the use of green manures,
commercial fertilizers and barn yard
manures. Under dry farming condi-
ton, to assist the dry farming depart
ment in teaching the Importance and
benefits of early tillage in summer fall
lowing; tillage to control blow of soil
and control Of weeds.
Green Manures- Alfalfa, ETC.,
Flowed Under
In all neighborhoods, since the 1913
and 1914 work there are some farms
which are demonstrating the great
value of green manures as soil inn
provers. Some have shown conclu-
sively that vetch plowed under a few
years in succession, will not only ma
terially increase the water holding
capacity of the soil, but will greatly
increase the productivity of the soil.
There are others who have been dem
onstrating the past two years, the
great benefits to the soil derived from
blowing under alfalfa. These farms
have been used as object lessons in
soil improvement. The methods used
and the success that followed have
been written up and published, pre-
scented at meetings and in private con-
verSation.
The use of these green manures to
improve soil where barn yard manure
was not available has been urged. This
work has been particularly effective
when answering questions on corn,
tomato and potato growing. This was
because some humus and nitrogen fer
tilizer is essential to good results with
the first two crops and greatly benefits
the last. The use of these green ma
nures as cover crops in the orchards
has been generally adopted the last
two years. Not a single unfavorable
report has come to the county agricul-
turalist relative to their use. Fifty
circular letters and thirty individual
letters have been sent out this year on
this subject to orchardists who were
still practicing clean cultivation. By
this work and by calls at individual
farms, a large part of the remaining
small per cent have been induced to
begin soil improvement with green
manures, where barn yard manure is
not available.
commercial feftlllZef
The use of commercial fertilizer has
been urged as a general thing only for
Strawberries. Several very successful
strawberry farms have been used as
object lessons to show the value of its
use on strawberries. Meetings have
been held on these farms to show the
benefit to the soil of the fertilizers
and the method of using them. This
same information has also been given
on request to between so and rs grow
ers, either by letters or personal in
terview. A large percent of the grow
ers fortified their Strawberries this
year with tankage in the summer or
early fall. This and other fertilizers
have been recommended only in special
cases on other crops. This is because
most of the soil needs humus, which
it does not get from commercial fer
tilizer.
A series of tests are now under way
with sulphur to improve the soil for
alfalfa. Some of the state experiment
stations have obtained remarkable in
crease in the growth of alfalfa by fer
tilizing the land with sulphur. The
county agriculturalist followed these
experiments for some time in direct
correspondence with the men who were
in charge of them. While it was real
lied that there may be enough diff
ference in conditions, so that the sui
I,phur would be of no value to the alfal-
ia here, it was decided that the pos
sibilities warranted thoro test under
local conditions.
The proposition was taken up with
twenty farmers located in the differ
ent parts Of the county who were will
ing to purchase the fertilizer and make
thoro test under the sdirection Of the
county agriculturalist. Arrangements
were then made to get the fertilizer
shipped in. The farmers were notified
when it arrived and were given in
structions in regard to the time and
method of application. In cases where
necessary, or on special request, the
levy and collect special assessments
on the DrOpertv Snecia11v henofitfad