Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-05-08

case of their absence \ soil possessed
OF ar abundant su ppply of plant nutri-
ents might otherwise be sterile IN
view Of the comprehensive nature of
the subject. however. IL will he nee
essary TO confine the discussion 10 one
primary phase OF IL. and therefore. the
suggestions made will deal chiefly with
the relation existing between the nat
ural supply of plant food in the soil. the
percentage OF il which IS capable or
being used by growing crops and the
relation Of soil amendments TO the
maintenance OF such a desirable degree
OF equilibrium between the soil and
the crop as will enable its cultivation
with profit and advantage
The soil is the primary resource or
any commonwealth. and one would sup
rose IL would have been more eNhaus-
lively and carefully studied on that
account than anything else strange
TO say. We have probably given less
consideration to this than almost any
other subject so intimately related 10
our national welfare We have not YET
come 10 look upon the soil as anything
except so much drift. IL does not ap-
neal TO US as being the source from
which gold dollars may be mined under
skilIfuI management in almost unlimit-
al quantity. We do not comprehend as
vet that the measure Of the value OF
the soil should be determined largely
nv the total store OF the so-eailed es-
sentfaI plant food elements IL contains.
the rapidITy with which they can De
rendered available. and the ease Win
which its deficiencies may be supphed
and maintained. To the average man
all kinds of dirt may look alike but
there is lust as much distinctive Diff
there il between human beings We
have not realized this up to the present
time hence outr agriculture mas never
been organized on a scientinc basis. ana
will never be until we make some more
definite effort than has been put forth
a. the mast 70 study our soil resources
in g systematic manner and present the
more important facts 10 the attention
of our boys and girls so that succeed
ing generations will have an appprecia-
ton Of the difference between SOILS ahu
the methods which should De iOlloNSu
n order 10 bring them under profitable
culture and maintain their tertiiltE I'M
i'm paired from year TO year
In many or our great common
1x.aIths practically no study or their
soil resources has been undertaken as
vet. Even in Georgia such work Is OF
racent origin. Yet enough has been zone
through the efforts Of Biologists. SOIL
Dhxsscists and chemists TO demonstrate
that there are four great soil provinces
uSthin the state. One or these may
be properly described as covering the
limestone valleys and uplsnds OF nor run
west Georgia The second lhSi"ueS
the AppsIachisn mountain district the
third the great Piedmont plateau; anu
the fourth the coastal plains area a
vasl region extending from Maryian"
IN Louisiana All OF these SOIL pro
%fnres differ considerably in their gen
4raI characteristics in the supply OF
pIant food they contain and In their
adspabilitv to the production or va
rious cropS They should not all De
hardIed or managed alike In o'her
words each is possessed or sPeclhS
characteristics which must ne dehnl'e-
" known and appreciated in order that
the land owner may reap the largest
reward from his effort
Georgia alone cOntais 5000" square
niles or territory Think wFat an un-
dertakins il is TO organize. study and
classify and even develop supericlai
LnovrIedcs OF the better defined SOIL
tvpes Vet every Jhoughtful citizen
must realize the Fundamental impor-
lance Of definite knowledge OF inns
character. and will no doubt rejoice
.bat . BEGINNING has been made through
the college OF agriculture and the bu-
reau or soils OF the L. :. department
Of agriculture towards gathering the
essential information Already the
,bvsicaI survey OF some fOrty-hve
counties has been completed ana WorA
fs in progress in several others. \
.ban,fcsI survey has been made Of eight
OF these counties by the college or ag-
rfcuIture through its extension division
A chemical survey is naturally very
slow and tedious undertaking as II re-
oufreS ali the time OF an expert chem
Ist for a year TO analyze the soil types
Of many OF our counties The impor-
tanrs OF this work is such that II
Should receive the earnest attention
and consideration and active support OF
All who are concerned In the progress
of our agriculture. and If this IS done
in view OF the beginning which mas
been made. greater progress may be an
tfcipated in the future. and in the
course OF another generation we should
he IN possession OF the chief facts con-
corning the plant food resources OF our
soils
The very complicated nature Of this
Undertaking is illustrated by a study OF
the ANALYSIS OF any one OF the SOIL
areas which have been investigated In
Polk county. for instance. tWentN-eisht
tvpes Of soil we're found. The content
of nitrogen IN these soils varied from
900 up 10 $500 pounds; the content
Of phosphoric- acid from 500 up TO +
200: the content OF potash from 1000
M 10 1880 pounds. and the content
Of calcium oxide from $500 up TO 3
900 mounds The first three are what
we ordinarily regard as the essential
elements OF plant food. IL Is not sur
missing that fertilizers should act dlt-
fereutIv. on these twenty-eight SOIL
tvpes wheh they show such variation
in their total store OF plant food These
figures are calculated on the basis OF
an area OF one acre to the depth oil
twentv-one inches. Is BE- not clear tha'
the farmer who is operating LANDS
showing such a wide variation IN the
content OF plant food is more or less
gambling. and is ia surprising that one
wear he should get a fairly good re-
suIt and fail the next year,
II is certainly evident from these
a0ures that an intelligent system oil
agricultural practice cannot be deNe-
Toned in the county in question until
NE understand something more OF the
Fundamental nature OF the soil types
under discussion. and endeavOr TO sup
pIv in proper amount those elements
which are not normally present In sur
6c{ent quantity. II has long since beer
as,abIfshed that plants require fairly