Imperial Valley press., 1925-02-26
SOIL FERTILITY WEEK REVEALS
MUCH HEE EpFlL DATA ON VALLEY
SOIL AND HOW TO IMPROVE IT

In connection with Soil Fcftil-
itv Week. being celebrated this
week all over Imperial Valley, the
following very comprehensive re-
port ON local soil conditions and
fertilizers which have been found
Of particular benefit in the valley
has been filed with the secretary
of the Associated Chambers of Com
mercc by Clark Adair of Seelev.
chairman Of the committee named
By the associated chambers recent
~ to conduct the survey.
Several hundred badges Have been
distributed in connect ION with the
fertility campaign aud are being
worn all over the valley this week
to stimulate interest. Farm center
programs have been ARRANGED 10
take in the theme of soil fertility
and Mr.. Adair and members of his
committee have been busy making
speeches ON the subject and individ-
ual visit to raucherS in various parts
of the county, cnliSting their aid
and cooperation in the movement.
Every man who tillS the soil will
find much Of helpful interest in Mr..
Adair's report which is printed in
full herewith:
Report Soil Fertility Committee
To the President and Members of
the Associated Chambers Of Com
mercc, Imperial Calf.
Gcntlcmcn-Yom soil fertility
committee bcgs leave to make the
following report:
We have been able to find ten
methods used by farmers IN differ
cnt partS Of the world to maintain
and increase the pGoductivcnoSs of
the soil. But there are probably
many more.
Method No. I
Ouc tf the first methods discov-
cred and used was made bv an
Egyptian 5000 wears ago. He dis
covered that when his wife and
daughter plowcd the land seven
times that he grew better crops.
This method is not practical to-
Cav as it is too easy for q wife to-
get divorce and TOO easy for
Young Slll u tlbIlN.
Please bear in mind this diScov-
cry 2s it is important and will be
referred 20 again in methods Nos
, and 9.
Method No. Crop Rotation
Crop rotation was considered ne
ccssary by primitive farmers. They
observed that certain crops seemed
to improve The soil for the next
crop, while certain other crops seem
ed TO miurc the soil for growing
certain other crops the following
year. They therefore adopted al
system of crop rotation, which re-
suited in their raising good crop
every year Less than 80 wears ago
students of agriculture discovered
some of the reasons why farmers
who rotate their crops are the most
successful This method Will be
more fully explained later and re-
ferred to again in methods Nos. 3,
8 and 9.
Method No. Shining the Soil
Methods Nos. and , finally fail
cd to give the desired results. The
people became impoverished and
nations ruined. The people becoming
the slaves of other nations.
Some one discovered that by lin
ing the soil the land produced boUn-
tiful crops again and then Europe
became powerful and ruled the
world. Why lining the soilj i'm.
proved the crops was not discovered
until hundreds of years later as the
science of chemistry was still in
it primitive state of development.
Lining the soil destroyed the acids
which prevented the nitrogen fix
ing bacteria from thriving. These
bacteria have the power to make
nitrogen fertilizers which plants
mast have to grew
Method No. 4-Home Made
Fertilizers
The Chinese farmers are probably
the most skilled in this art. They
arc able to mako tUo acrpc of land ,