The Little River news., 1920-09-11
Program to Increase Soil
 Fertility. in the State

Fertility, in the State As result of repeated con- ferences eliminating in the work at the Farmers Short l Course at the University of Ar kansas, August TYPO, and fol- lowed by a conference between all of the county agents of the state, M. T. Payne, director of extension, all district farm de- Nmonstration agents, Dean Knapp and members of the az ricultural faculty, a big program for increasing the efficiency of Arkansas agriculture has been practically agreed to and has progressed so we'll that it is felt announcement can be made at this time.
 Much has been done by the Extension Service, the Experi- ment Station, and other branch es of the College of Agriculture, as well as the Arkansas Pro- fitable Farming Bureau. to call attention to the need of improv- ed soil fertility in the state of Arkansas. All forces recog- nize that one of the great needs of the state is a better. yield per acre in practically ali crops.
 The basis of agriculture is soil fertility. To keep the rich lands of Arkansas rich, and to build up the fertility of the poor lands should be the aim of each farmer and citizen of the state. To accomplish this end, the Col lege of Agriculture of the Uni versity of Arkansas suggests the following program:
 First, prevent needless wash ing or erosion of Arkansas soils by adding humus to the soil, deeper blowing, winter cover crops, conforming, or blowing to prevent washing and, most inn portant of all, by terracing hill sides and proper drainage.
 Second, add humus to all soils in Arkansas by saving and ap- plying all barnyard manure to the land and by growing le- gumes and winter cover crops of rye or other small grains, to be plowed under for soil improve ment.
 Third, improve the physical condition of the soil, first by better fall preparation, inn proving the soil fertility by more fall blowing, followed by cover crops on land where the succeeding crops is to be cotton, corn or foliage, and second, by better spring preparation for planting, blowing deeper and better preparing the seed bed. A deep, we'll pulverized, and yet well competed seed bed, full of decaying vegetable matter, is ideal for the growing of crops.
 Fourth, plant only we'll sell ected seed of varieties adapted to the soil, climate and locality which has been bred for produc- tion and tested before planting.
 Fifth, increase the crop yields along with the other practices set forth, by the use of high grade commercial fertilizer.
 Sixth, increase the yield per acre by better and more sys- tematic cultivation for the pur- pose of destroying weeds and grass and to aid in holding during the droughty periods to which Arkansas is somewhat subject:
 Some suggestions have all ready been made to carry this program into effort through ac- tual examples, under the belief that facts and specific examples visible the the eye of the farm CTS will be much more valuable than bulletins, printed instruc- tions and lectures. The county agents will secure a minimum of ten demonstrations in cover crops in each county during the fall months, to be plowed under in the spring of 1921 for crop production next year. TO these demonstrations will be added Q general educational campaign on the value of winter cover crops in holding the soil and I Jit,ry hr,r,,11c