Norwich bulletin., 1921-10-07

have to apply any. Look here" and
 he pulled up thrifty soy bean plant
 from the end of a TOW. Its branching
 roots were set thickly with small white
 nodules-there must have been hundreds
 of them, each one the home of innu-
 merable bacteria who were unceasingly
 at work combining the nitrogen of the
 air with the mineral contents of the soil
 and making out of the two the protein
 which the plants later build into living
 cells. Before l sowed this patch" he
 said, T took bucket-full of soil from
 an old soy bean bed and dribbled it
 along the rows. Then gave them
 enough lime and phosphate to encourage
 and stimulate them. and here they are"
 Prof. Esten keeps from One-third to
 one-half his three-acre field each year in legumes, | e. soy beans, clover, al-
 falfa and the like. These growths are
 all plowed under, together with all crop ] wastes. For the first three years of
 the tests farm manure was applied to some portions of the field at the rate of seven tons and a half per acre, per year. For the last two years no farm manure has been used. The little field is now on an absolutely independent basis. It is taking care of itself. It is growing ! it's own fertility. The bacteria are do- 1 ing it. aided only by the supply of a | little cheap ground limestone and raw rock phosphate.
 Prof Esten writes me: "The plan is nothing but this: Get phosphorus into the soil. Get lime into the soil. Get | legumes into the soil so as to fix nitro gen and to grow large amounts of or Eanic matter and food for bacteria and plants That is all there is to 1t. I dc not see how it could be simpler"
 Faith, no more do I. You will ob- serve that this isn't by any means mere
 book farming, nor laboratory work It is work done in real dirt such as every farmer in Connecticut has to manage, with real crops such as we all have to struggle with. Prof. Esten admits that, to make the test a clincher the work should be carried on for ten or fifteen years. It certainly is to be hoped it may be. For nothing that has come un- der my observation seems to offer so much of promise to the producing far mer.
 IT, by the use of two such compara- lively inexpensive helps as ground lime stone and raw rock phosphate, he can enlist as his helpers innumerable hordes of beneicent bacteria. who will not only work for nothing and board themselves but also pay for the nrivilege-why shouldn't he accept their aid?
 But the thing is so revolutionary you object. Yes it is revolutionary
 But look at your own cauoused palms
 look at your own hungry acres, veri-
 table daughters of the horse-Ieech for
 ever crying Give give" look at your
 diminishing crops and your non-exist-
 ent profits; look at the prospect ahead for constantly harder work with con- stantly lessening returns-and tell me l if it isn't time for something revolu- l tionary to develop!
 |, Not that I ask you to accept every. ! thing l say, or even everything that 1 Prof. Esten says, without first proving 1 whether it be true or not. Prove al i things hold fast to that which is good
 is sensible advice in farming as well a | in ethics. Nobody wants you to buy l gold-plated brick for pure gold Nobod.