Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1922-07-26
RURAL ACTIVITIES AND NEWS.
OF INTEREST TO THE FARMER
PEATLANDS CANBEMADE ].
PRODUCTIVE FARM LANDS

Five Years Experiments at Golden
Valley Station Show Good Results
By Use of Phosphate
Several hundred thousands acres OF
peat lands in northwestern Minnesota
will be reclaimed and made over into
productive farms with the next few
years. That was the substance of a
prediction made by DR.. F. J. Away,
head of the division of soils Of the
Department of Agriculture, University
of Minnesota, in talk before a group
of peat-land farmers at the Golden
Valley Peat Land Experimental Fields
visitors day, Saturday, July %.
To those who have known some
thing of the history of slow develop
ment of these lands in Marshall, Bel
trami, Roseau, Kittson, Pennington,
Polk and Clearwater counties, the an
nouncement or prediction came as a
surprise, perhaps. But DR.. Always
work at the Golden Valley fields has
shown the way, and DR.. Away was
speaking by the book of actual ex-
pertinent, and was not merely trying
to encourage the farmers present, ito
kid them along" as they say. Neither
had he any intention of giving the
farmland mans business a boost. He
was merely announcing a fact-the
logical outcome of the results of five
seasons of intensive study Of the type
of peat lands which number their
acres in the hundreds of thousands in
the group of counties named-a fact
which will mean added prosperity in
large way for northwestern Mime
sofa and for the state at large.
And the secret of the reclamation
of the lands in question is about 125
pounds Of treble super phosphate ap-
piled to each acre, the burning of the
peat, or the application of manure;
with the preference in favor of the
phosphate, and the cost of that much
phosphate per acre is at present prices
about $3.50.
The reasons in favor Of the phos-
plate are that it is quickly and easily
applied and certain in it's results.
whereas peat-burning is difficult art,
depending greatly on weather cOndi-
ti0ns-wind and rain-and on much la
Dor, and owing to lack of livestock
manure is not produced in large
enough quantities to dress the land.
The Golden Valley lands have an ad-
vantage over those farther south in
the state, in that they require only
phosphate, whereas many of the other
peats require both phosphate and the
more costly potash as WELL
The evidence as seen by the farm
ers last Saturday was striking and
convincing. On one side of road
through the experimental fields were
plots of crops which had been un-
fertilized. On the other side were
plots of crops which had been fertil-
lied. The latter were from five to
twenty-five times as large as the form,
er. For example, from the unfertil.
lied plots crop of clover about as
large as a good-sized sofa pillow was
the total result; from the fertilized
plots the crop made a very respect.
able small haystack as big as a ten
byten foot tent. The same kind OF
improvement was seen in potatoes
rye, oats, etc. Flax, indeed, was
about the only crop that showed little
improvement from the application OF
phosphate, burning, or manure. Flax
alone seems to do we'll without fer
tilizing.
Improvement in the crops. is no
only marked for the first year afte1
application; it continues through sue
ceeding seasons, though DR.. Alwa,
says that the proper thing to do i!
to apply dressings of the fertilize!
each succeeding year large enough tt
offset the amount of the fertility take1
off by the crops
Dairy farming, with the growing O.
forage crops, is the system for tn
region, and here are some of tn,
things DR.. Away told the farmers in
speeding the fields:
Red and alsike clover together Civ,
satisfactory results. They may b,
seeded without blowing Such seed
ings On phosphated land gives a cro]
of from two to three tons to the acr,
the second season, whereas such seed
ings on unfertilized land give les
than half a ton. If hay crop il
desired the first year, the land SHOULD
be plOWed. #,
Rye Should be seeded early-by Aug
ust 26. .-..,c..
Glover should be pastured dow
close in the fall on peat lands.
Wheat is a/poor crop for peat lands
Rye, barley, and oats do better.
There is no benefit to the soil il
blowing clover under.
- Flax should be seeded about tn
second week in June In earlier seed
ing there is danger from frosts NOR
danger than in the later seedlings
Potatoes have yielded as much a
300 bushels to the acre, and more.
For the growing of peas, the sol
should be inoculated.
A good rotation for the peat land
is peas, oats, clover and rye In sue
cession, the clover to be seeded witt
the oats. 5.s
Farmers should try out new thing
On small scale on their own farm
before venturing on large seedlings o
crops or the adoption Of new methods
Sundowers should be considered TO
silage, as corn Cannot be depended q
on account Of greater susceptibility t,
loss by frost. 5sS45
The results achieved and the posi-
hi1ifjna ahead i,,c%ifv Tho % rv,nn,se, =