Norwich bulletin., 1916-02-18
COUNTYPOMONA WORKED 9TH DEGREE
Large Attendance at Meeting in Pythan Hall Thursday Voted SIS Towards Financing of Corn Interesting Address by Storrs Professor

nitiOnS its price is too high to admit of it's use in acid phosphate.
 Those farms which are well supplied with phosphorus are very fortunate for a part of their fertility problem is solved. It is a very simple matter to make phosphorus soluble by bacterial activity. That phosphorus compounds are insoluble in the soil presents one of the most providential factors Of soil fertility conservation.
 The source of phosphorus first to be considered is that already present in our soils If this is inadequate turn to our legumes to bring it up from the subsoil. If these two are not sufficient we must turn to the cheapest and most abundant source-the phosphate mines nearest. Have 1t shipped in car lots direct. Do not allow it to pass through the middlemen's hands. Then make it soluble in your soil with large amounts of leguminous organic matter fermented by bacteria which uberates organic acids, thus freeing the phosphorus and making enough soluble for plant growth.
 Organic Matter.
 The vital principle of the soil is the growth and activity of bacteria. Or ganic matter is the food for bacteria. Organic matter is the food for bac- teria. The three kinds of organic matter are plant residues. farm ma nures, and green manure crops. When large crops are raised there is left a large root system with the stubble which will furnish next years crop with a part of it's roots stems, leaves and grain or fruit No crop residue should ever be burned for it destroys all the nitrogen and all the food for bacteria. It robs the soil of its ot- ganic matter and humus which is so vital part in crop production.
 Farm Manures.
 The value of farm manures in the United States is two and one-fourth billion of dollars. This weighs one billion tons and contains five million tons of potash. Half of this potash is allowed to leach away and runs out into the oceans. It should be saved and this two and one-half million tons of potash made available would be very significant compared with the minor amount of two hundred, and forty thousand tons of potash import ed.
 In normal years we import two hundred thousand tons of potassium for which we pay twentyfour million dollars. The larger part of this out lay Is wasted. As sources of nitrogen and potassium it is the duty of every farmer who raises live stock to pre- serve farm manures. The preserva- tion of one-tenth the potassium lost would just equal the imported potas- sium.
 Value of Farm Manure. A thousand pound COW produces | about seventy pounds of fertilizer in day, or twelve and one-half tons in a year. This is worth nine cents a day. The moisture part is worth six cents a day and the solid three cents It so happens that the farmets gen. erally save only the three cents worth of solid. The leachable part, which has twice the value of the remainder Is allowed to disappear. The total value of one cows production during the year is S32.S5, $21 worth of liquid l and S11 worth of solids. Most farmers save only the solids. It so happens | that farm manures are rich in potash and poor in phosphorus. This is ex- actly the same condition existing in our soils. They are rich in potassium | and poor in phosphorus. A ton O1 farm fertilizer is worth about S2.5O. To reinforce this ton of farm fertilizer With rock phosphate or floats" will | make the crop producing power of that ton of fertilizer worth $5' or just dou- ble its value. Dr. Cyril C.. Hopkins has said, T doubt if there is any op- portunity open to honest men in the United States that offers greater re- turns on the investment than in the balancing of farm manure for use on | ordinary normal soils, than putting into the farm manure that which it lacks to make it a balanced plant food"
 Fertility Maintenance. "In the long run there can be no question that the farmer who under stands and practices the keeping of live stock, and the production, preser- vation, and use of farm manure, will secure a much better income from the land, whether he owns or rents it, l than the one who depends upon com- merctal fertilizers alone for the main- tenance of the fertility of the soil while as for the farmer who under 1 takes to take everything from the land without making any restoration his liberty will eventually be taken from him and he will become the servant of wiser men, either on the farm or elsewhere. 70. E. Thorne, director ot the Ohio Experiment Station. The prize offered for the grange hav- ing the most number of members al the meeting went to Preston City grange.