The Washington herald., 1918-05-16
EXPERIMENT In
J CORN RAISING
Holland Says Initial Results
Of New Process Highly
Satisfactory.

Upon one Of the farms In Michigan
near Detroit there Is to be observed
today by farmers who may be in
terested and men of science who are
sure to be interested, a phenomenon
which is in the form Of an expert
ment that may be of lasting value
TO the American farmers.
A portion Of the farms was selected
! for this experiment. One half was
sewed to corn, In soil which was to
serve as the test. In the other halt
corn was sewn as it customarily Is
planted by the farmers. Today the
corn that was planted upon that por-
ton which was to furnish the test
Is considerably more than a foot high.
The corn that was planted in the
other portion according to the old
formula Is only two or three inches
high The experiment is regarded as
giving excellent promise Of furnishing
a formula whereby the farmers may
in the future be able to rely upon
inexhaustible natural resources for
the fertilization Of their farms.
This experiment is due to our ex-
peTience of American men of science
who visited Russia shortly before the
European war began. They were en-
tertained by scientific men OF Russia.
At one of the gatherings discussion
was centered upon the wonderful
black lands of the Ukraine district.
These constitute a part of the rich
agricultural resources of Ukraine of
which Germany is now anxious to
take advantage.
II was said that the Ukraine dis
trict. which in area is about as large
as France, furnished wheat for Athens
in the years when Greece was in her
glory. The production of wheat from
sthis black soil has been maintained
Vfor centuries and yet the soil has
never been artificially fertilized. 1t
is found to be today as rich in the
qualities which nurish and produce
great crops as il was hundreds of
years ago when the peasants of that
district began to cultivate wheat.
Russian Science Interested.
In the course Of the discussion it
was said by an American who has
gained high reputation in research
work that it would probably be found,
if scientific investigation were made,
that these black lands are plastic or
soft excepting in the very dry sea-
'NH- AhNh NiACN DcCoIiC ana
and the surface by this natural action
OF the elements is spread over or COW
cred with the finest kind Of dust
particles almost atomic in character
This dust by certain chemical attrac-
lions draws from the atmosphere car
bonic acid gas. absorbs IL and in that
way communicates it to the soil. Thus
by one Of the infinitely mysterious
nF0HaRaaz ~ ra ha
lands are fertilized, the atmosphere
furnishing in this way the needed
carbon.
There is no other explanation OF
which the men OF science have any
knowledge of something that has been
regarded as a mysterious phenomenon
associated with the unimpaired fer
tility Of Ukraine black lands.
1t occurred to men of science aft
er this war began and the Ukraine
district began to bear such an i'm
portant relation to it, and especial
ly In view Of the scarcity-offer-
tilizers in the United States that it
might be worth while to make an
experiment. Some of the farm lands
of Michigan are very rich and yet
IL has been found necessary in or
der to secure the highest produc-
ftion to fertiliZe 1t artificially. Would
1t be possible, men and science
asked, to coax nature to furnish the
fetilizing quality that is necessary? ?
Use Ordinary Clay.
The experiment was made BY con-
yerting ordinary clay into dust or
the smallest particles possible, and
having done that to deposit a small
quantity of this dust upon the soil.
1t was also necessary in order to
make comparison or to perfect the
experiment that a part of the farm
plot should not be treated in this
way.
This dust was sifted. so to speak,
over a portion of the farm and then
in due time corn was planted. 81
also corn was planted in an ad-
jacent lot which had not been in
like manner treated. To the gratf-
'fcation of those who were making
the experiment the corn which was
planted in the plot which was fur
nishing the experimental tast
sprouted early. grew rapidly. and
gives promise of coming early to
maturity and being in very
healthy state. The other corn is
growing slowly.
In another year more extensive ex-
periments will be made. In the state
of Iowa and in parts of Missouri and
in Minnesota there are lands some
what similar in texture and appear
ance to the black lands Of Ukrainia.
1t Is proposed to treat a part of these
lands with fine dust so that II NAV
be determined whether in this way
the atoms do absorb carbonfc acid
gas from the atmosphere. converting