White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1926-01-29
VALUABLE INFORMATION
ON SOIL FERTILITY

This valley is indebted to c. F. VIVA
ley, owner of the Ballygreen Farm
for copy of book on soils and soil
fertility compiled by A. r. Whitson,
professor of soils, and H. L. Walster,
instructor of sells, at the University
of Wisconsin. Mr.. Whaley says that
these two men rank among the very
best authorities in the United States
and that where their advice is closely
followed beneficial results are always
obtained. Mr.. Whaley is earnestly
trying to encourage growers in this
valley to use phosphorus fertilizers
with the idea of increasing fruit pro-
duction. He is thoroughly sold on
the idea that phosphorus is the one
element in the soil that is most defici-
ent III this district and that application
of this fertilizer must be made about
every so often, not only to increase
crop yields but to prevent the land
in the +rd from going bankrupt.
In the belief that grower readers
Of the Spokesman may be interested
in the book referred to, the following
passages are quoted:
Beneficial Effect OF Leaching
Some loss of soluble salts from GER
tain soils is necessary, for unless this
does occur the soil solution may be-
comes 80 concentrated as to actu1Iiy
retard the termination of seeds and
the growth of crops. Recent investi-
cations at the Colorado station show
that nitrates are accommodating so ra-
pidly in certain Colorado soils that
orchard trees are being killed. Good
undertakings with irrigation seems to
be the logical remedy for such con-
dition.
Commercial Fertilizers
The important commercial fertilizers
containing nitrogen arc sodium nitrate
(Chile saltpeter); ammonium sulfate,
obtained as by-product in the manu-
facture of coke and gas; dried blood
and other packing house products; and
electrically fixed nitrogen, which is
not yet of commercial importance in
the United States. 1t should not be
forgotten that all of these artificial
fertilizers are expensive and that nj
trogen can be obtained from the air
practically without cost by growing
legumes.
Occurrence and Amount OF
Phosphorus
The element phosphorus occurs
chiefly in the mineral apatite and in
practically all rocks from which the
soils is derived. The total amount of
phosphorus in most soils varies be-
tween .o2 and is per cent, though it
not infrequently is as low as 01 or
even less, and in few cases is over
Is. The total amount of this clement
in many soils is so small that COM
paratively small number of crops, if
entirely removed from the land, would
exhaust the original supply.
From tables already given (see page
22) t will be seen that crops remove
from S to 80 pounds of phosphorus
total supply of this element, which
varies from zoo to 5000 pounds in the
surface soil on virgin land, is in many
cases sufficient only for from so to
200 years. Moreover, this element
occurs chiefly in the grains of cereals,
which are used directly for human
food or for animals that are later used
for human food, and is thereby re-
moved from the land. It is therefore
absolutely necessary to return this ele-
ment to the soil as fertilizer in some
form, if the fertility of the soil is to
be permanently maintained.
Very Sandy Soils Need Phosphorus
Sandy soils, which are largely made
up of quartz grains, are generally low
in the total supply of this element, as
they are in most other essential. ele-
ments; and moreover, the coarseness
of the grains reduces the amount of
surface exposed to solution by the soil
moisture. In addition to this, such
soils are ordinarily low in organic
matter. For all,ttheae reasons, sandy
soils are very commonly found to be
deficient in available phosphorus and
frequently in their total supply.
Manure. and Commercial Fertilizers
An unwarranted prejudice exists in
some quarters against the use of any
thing for farm manure to restore fer
tility to soils. AS every farmer well
knows, there is limit to the amount
of manure that can be economically
produced on farm. We have al.
ready called attention to the enorm-
GUS losses that occur when manure
is applied in large quantities. Ex-
cessive quantities are used largely be-
cause the crops grown are of char
acter that demands large available
nitrogen supply This practice results
in large losses of the nitrogen thus
supplied, and also of the phosphorus.
1t is unlikely that nnanurial potassium
is conserved to any greater degree
than the phosphorus.
Commercial fertilizers specially high
in phosphorus, used to supplement the
nitrogen gained from, the. air by lc-
gures, will probably result in more
economical gain than when farm man.
v,rA 10 90 1ov;cbl,, ,,co5 r,.a. 80: