The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1923-03-01
LAND Is BEING MINED
INSTEAD OF EARNED
The Building Up and Mantle
nance Of Garrett COunty's
Soil Fertility.
By W. CLAYTON LESTER.

Office: Garrett County Court House.
1t has been truly said that most of
the agricultural land in this country
instead of being farmed is being
"mined." The systems of farming
usually employed are certainly not
calculated to maintain the soil in the
condition necessary for the best crop
production. The large profit from
some one crop usually blinds the far
mer so that he cannot see the injury
which he is doing to his soil by the
continuous growing of that one crop.
Past experience shows that no soils
are inexhaustible. The history of ag-
/ riulture clearly bears record Of the
gradual westward movement of far
mers leaving a trail Of exhausted
land behind them. Many of the soils
Of our eastern states have been "min-
ed" until they 10 longer produced
paying crops and. then their owners
moved westward and there again
started their systematic robbing Of
the soil We have at least realized
now depleted our soils are and ef-
forts are being made to build up and
restore them to their productive
state.
# Geld is producing profitable
yields it is no reason, however, for
assuming that it viii always do so.
/ Common sense says it VIII not. If
the fertility Of a soil is to be built up
and maintained, just as much plant
food as IS removed in crops and sold
of the farm must be returned to the
soil. How shall this return be made
Of the fifteen elements necessary for
plant food, some are generally so
. abundant in the soil that there is no
danger Of their ever becoming ex-
hausted. For example, there is SUI
iicient iron and aluminium TO supply
an indefinite number Of crops. Fur
/. thormore, the elements taken from
the air, such as carbon and oxygen,
may be drawn from the air by the use
Of Iegumes as green manures to sup
ply the needs Of all ..,s-leguminous
crops. A few of the so-calIed soil
derived" elements, however, may be
lacking in soils and these are phos-
phorus and potassium.
\ I believe there are at least five fac
tors to be considered in building up
and maintaining the fertility Of Car
rc5t county soils No ore factor is
more important than the others, and
when they are al brought together
into . systematic method Of farming
Jhen the best yields viii be obtained.
The factors are:
First, crop rotation; 2nd, lime; 3rd,
manuring; 4th, use Of phosphorus and
potassium fertilizers; 9Th, cuItiva-
ION and drainage.
Crop rotations are absolutely es-
sential for the maintenance Of the
fertility Of the soils. Numerous re
suits have shown the decreased yields
Of various crops under continuous
cropping. The Maryland State ex-
pcriments have shown an increase of
from twelve to twenty bushels of
corn per acre when grown in a re-
tation, over continuous cropping Of
corn. The greater yield of corn in
rotation is probably due to the small
Ter loss of humus under that system
than under continuous cropping. Fur
thermore, the value Of a rotation lies
in the fact that different crops make
different demands on plant food. By
alternating the crops the demands
are balanced somewhat and a crop
that is a heavy feeder on one ele-
ment will not use so much of another
element which is needed for the sue
ceeding crop.
Rotations containing some legume
are Of the greatest value. This is
due partly to the greater return of
organic matter or humu.
There are various rotations which
may be used to advantage in this
county. The four year rotation of
cora, oats, hay and pasture is prob
ably most common. A good five year
rotation is corn, oats, wheat, hay
hay. Soy beans, r5tatoes, buck
wheat and other crops can easily be
substituted in a rotation.
1t is hardly necessary to take up
the value of lining. I think the
farmers in the county realize that
the majority of soils in the county
need lining to produce good crops,
especially the lowlands and glade
lands. For the permanent fertility
Of all soils lime must be added from
time TO time to keep them from be-
coming acid or sour and to supply
calcium. Such crops as alfalfa and
clover make heavy demands on the
lime and abundance Of it must be
present for their best growth. Then
too, the presence Of ns.:e is necessary
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