The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1943-10-29

tends the period of sterility Of the
soil due to dryness.' Crops are not
declining or failing because blowing
is drying out the soil.
''The forces that turn plowed land
into bare, eroded fields are not the
mold-board pillow and the horses or
tractor that pull it. They are the
continued removal Of soil fertility
with little or no return of needed
plant foods. Flowing is not the
cause of the depletion Of the fertility
supply. Depletion occurs because Of
the fertility removed when the crop
is hauled off to market. The plow
is not the expl0iter; rather it is the
farmer. The plow is merely the tool
that facilitates his exploitation at a
faster rate and over more acres than
before the plow was given him. The
pillow has helped him feed many Of
us too far removed from the land
to appreciate its exploitation"
In urging that the pillow be junked
as an agricultural implement, Mr..
Faulkner's book advocated the use
of the disc harrow as means Of
producing more and better. crops,
because it would incorporate crop
residues, green manures and organ
ic matter into the top soil. To this
suggestion DIR. Albrecht had the fol-
lowing to say:
''The author Of 'Plowman's Folly
condemns the pillow because it inverts
completely the upper portion Of the
soil profile. In its place, however,
he advocates the use of the disk har-
row which carries out a similar
process, differing only in degree"
To Mr.. Faullxner's contention that
crop residues or organic matter
from plants allowed to grow Of their
own accord should be incorporated
into the top soil without the addition
Of manure, lime or other fertilizers,
DIR. Albrecht replies:
''Such proposal does not take
into account differences in vegeta-
ton in type or quality. Weeds or
forest trees as ancient as the Sc
quotas are taken on a par in the
'Plownan's Folly thesis with leg
umes as soil reiuvenating agencies.
The author cites every wooded
country as a perfect example Of
soil maintenance, but neglects to
mention the low level of fertility and
the difficulty involved in maintain
ing life."
Mr.. Faulkner's belief, that the
prevalence of wild life on the west
ern plains was due to the fact that
this region was unplowed, comes in
for some critical analysis, also. DR..
Albrecht points out that the I'M
plowed wooded areas of New Eng
land which our Puritan ancestors
first settled, supported only q few
wild turkeys and squirrels.
In further refutation of the con-
tention in "P1owman's Folly" that
principles which are valid in the
forest are valid in the field," DR..
Albrecht asserts:
''In view Of the fact that the soils
differ as widely as they do under
forest and under prairie, we surely
cannot subscribe to the belief that
all principles valid for the forest
are valid for the fields"
Summarizing his views on the en-.
tire subject, DR.. Albrecht con-
cludes: "The indictment Of the plow
by the book 'Plowman's Folly will
not stand against the facts Of sci
ence nor the judgment Of expert
enced farmers. This publication win
fall far short of helping us to realize
that the Garden of Eden, almost
literally, lies under our feet almost
anywhere on earth we care to STEP
provided we allow vegetation to
grow and we cling to the disk harrow
as means Of turning it under rath-
4. A. 4. l. IL