Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1919-01-16
KEEPING LAND
RICH SECRETS
EXPERIMENT STATION EXPERTS
EXPLAIN WHAT TREATMENT
SOIL NEEDS
Clay Field Plowed Soon After Rain 10
Injured for Years.

Injured for Years.
Experts are digging information out
OF the ground and furnishing It to the
citizens Of the country who depend
upon the land for a livelihood. Just
as the farmer is learning to plow
deep" and is applying this rule even
to clay, he must be shown that he
must use care or he will spoil his
land says the Illustrated World maya
zine. The experiment station of the
University of Wisconsin, working
with its own farms in various parts
of the state, has been telling what
treatment is good and what is bad
III regald to different soils. The state
presents so many different kinds OF
soil that almost every type may be
examined. Clay must be plo%ed
deeply but gradually. The organic
matter and bacteria necessary to plant
growth are only on the surface Of
this kind of soil. and il they are bgr-
led deep in plowing. the land Will !e
greatly injured.
AS to clay several truths are OK
pounded by the men who have tried
out everything that science has at its
command. In the first place, such
soil should be cleared with the aid
Of dynamite. Surface drainage and
even tile drainage is important be-
cause too much moisture is worse than
not enough.
Glover and peas should be grown
occasionally and sometimes turned
under to provide humus for the soil.
and as with other soils, crop rotation
is important, with four or five year
program.
Plow field of clay too soon after
a rain and it is injured for years to
come. The great Jumps soon bake to
the consistency of bricks and three
or four years of cultivation are nec-
essary before the soil of the field will
return to normal.
With marsh soils, drainage OF
course. Is all important. but the chem.
ical composition of the land is al
most as much so. Such ground usu-
ally has great supply of nitrogen
nut lacks the components, phosphorus
and potassium, which should be sup
piled by commercial fertilizers.
Barnyard manure has the required
elements, but as it also contains M
trogen, economy can be practiced by
saving it for upland pastures if they,
too, form some part Of the farm. Just
the opposite from The clay, marsh
land needs heavy rolling for best pro
duction and when it is properly han
died, the black soil will produce corn,
potatoes, hay, buckwheat, ETC., in
great quantities.
The acidity of such ground need not
properly fertilized it, though in en-
treme instances it is advisable to neu-
tralize the acid nature by thin layer
of limestone spread upon the sell be-
fore pldwing.
Sandy soil presents problems OF
how to make it hold moisture and of
how to prevent blowing. Long mar
row fields in grass and cultivated
crops alternately, will save stands OF
farm produce which would otherwise
be ruiued. Vegetable matter should
be added to them to aid in water hold
ing and to provide for additional fer
tility.
AS sand has only one third to one
half the fertility Of clay loans, it
must be watched carefully and crops
rotated to produce results comparable
with those from other soils Ease Of
putting sandy '"-s' under cultivation
is its saving grace with the addition
of manure as needed such fields be-
come almost as valuable as other
kinds.
OF course in addition to general
maxims, the experiment stations give
specific advice and the farmer who
is served by them can have his soil
,nalyzed and his crops planned for
him. Perhaps this is the best way
OF attacking high food prices.