SOLVING THE SOIL PROBLEM
Nelson, Louis
Solving the Soil Problem Wisconsin University State Fair Exhibit Helps the Farmer By LOUIS NELSON ALL WHO visited the exhibit of the University of Wisconsin College of Agriculture, at the State...
...A case," the bulletin announced, "where $200 spent in tile drainage increased the market value of SO acres $1,000, Farmer May Test His Own Soil THERE was an exhibit of a simple soil experiment test for the application of a fertilizer which any farmer may use successfully at home...
...Three to five counties are completed each year...
...The best use and treatment of each class of soil is determined upon and prescribed...
...To get the full fertilizing value of manure it should neither be piled up back of the barns nor placed in piles in the field, but it should be hauled to the place where it is to be applied and spread broadcast as soon after made as possible...
...As a part of this work, the University, whenever it is desired, gives direction to experiments among farmers to ascertain the best crop rotations and fertilizers for particular soils and locations...
...Each ten acres is sampled and the soil analyzed and classified...
...Of the 200^000 farmers in Wisconsin about 10,000 have taken some work at the College of Agriculture and 15,000 more have been reached through the extension service—farmers' institutes, public lectures, demonstrations and the like...
...5. Nitrogen and Phosphorus...
...8. Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorus...
...1. No fertilizer...
...Improvement of herds, economy in dairying, remedies for animal diseases, elimination of noxious weeds and other most important subjects were illustrated and explained...
...The dean of the College of Agriculture said, in a talk to the Agricultural alumni present, that this exhibit was intended as an introduction to a popular campaign whose object was to bring, in usable form to all the practical farmers of the state the important results of research and experiments at the University...
...He plants four kernels of corn in each pot and places them in position to grow...
...The farmer should apply it, mixed with the manure...
...Another exhibit told how a farmer, under the supervision of the University, had secured practically twice as much grain by tile draining red clay soil as when the soil was left undrained...
...The rain washes out the potassium and phosphorus if manure is left in small heaps in the fields...
...Wood-ashes will supply potassium...
...This survey will give the University a complete map of all the soil of the state and furnish a basis upon which reliable advice can be directly and specifically given the individual farmer...
...For the purpose of the experiment he buys at any drug store, for trifling cost, a small quan-tity of commercial fertilizers of the required kind...
...2. Nitrogen...
...Phosphorus must generally be purchased, and ground phosphate rock or floats is the form in which it is recommended...
...Congressman Boutell, Congressman Tawney, and Vice President Sherman have recently come to the unanimous conclusion that "the primary election is a failure...
...4. Phosphorus...
...The plan of soil survey and fertilization was only a phase of the University exhibit of the work it is doing for advancement of agriculture...
...and only the decaying vegetable matter is left to be spread over the remaining soil...
...While commercial fertilizers are helpful for experimentation, their general use on the farm is not recommended...
...He numbers the jars and treats the soil in each as follows: Jar No...
...One of the exhibits showed that a farmer, directed by the University, had divided a hay meadow into two plots, treated one plot with ground rock phosphate and had obtained 44 per cent, more hay from the fertilized than from the unfertilized land...
...3. Potassium...
...Supposing he has a field of corn on which the growth has been very poor or uneven and he wants to tieat the soil so as to increase and improve the yield...
...the soil in the close neighborhood gets disproportionate benefit...
...He takes samples of soil from the different patches of ground where the crop varies and mixes them together thoroughly and fills eight one-gallon jars with the mixture...
...7. Nitrogen and Potassium...
...From the resulting growth of the corn he determines the requirements of the soil...
...Nitrogen can be applied in barnyard manure, or better still, by plowing under bituminous crops such as clover, vetch, cow peas, soy beans, etc...
...The proportion was demonstrated in miniature bales of hay taken from the two portions of the field...
...How to Prevent Waste of Fertilizer A BULLETIN stated that, of the $60,000,000 worth of manure produced annually within the state, $20,000,000 worth is lost by improper handling...
...Solving the Soil Problem Wisconsin University State Fair Exhibit Helps the Farmer By LOUIS NELSON ALL WHO visited the exhibit of the University of Wisconsin College of Agriculture, at the State Fair recently, must have been impressed with the great plan by which the University proposes, in cooperation with the farmers, to secure ultimately the highest development and most profitable use of every acre of agricultural land within the state...
...The University is conducting a soil survey of all the land in Wisconsin...
...6. Potassium and Phosphorus...
...The result of this survey, when finished, will enable every farmer to know the composition and character of the soil of all his various fields and will enable him to supplement his practical knowledge with scientific information as to the most economical treatment of his lands in the way of fertilizers and the best and most profitable crop rotations on his farm...
...If allowed to accumulate it ferments or "heats" and the nitrogen escapes in the form of ammonia...
Vol. 2 • October 1910 • No. 40
