The First Book of Farming Part 28

SYSTEM OF FARMING

A system of general or diversified farming embracing crop products and stock raising, requires much less artificial manuring than does a system which raises special crops or quick growing crops in rapid succession, as in the case of truck farming or market gardening.

TESTING THE SOIL

Every farmer should be more or less of an investigator and experimenter.

The factors mentioned previously as indicating the presence or absence of sufficient quant.i.ties of certain plant foods serve as a general guide, but are not absolute. The best method of determining what plant foods are lacking in the soil is to carry on some simple experiments.

The following plan for soil testing with plant foods is suggestive: To test the soil for a possible need of the single plant foods, a series of five plots may be laid off. These plots should be long and narrow and may be one-twentieth, one-sixteenth, one-tenth, one eighth acre or larger. A plot one rod wide and eight rods long will contain one-twentieth acre. The width of the plot may be adjusted to accommodate a certain number of rows of crop and the length made proper to include an even fraction of an acre. A strip three or four feet in width should be left between each two plots. These strips are to be left unfertilized and are for the purpose of preventing one plot being affected by the plant food of another.

The plots are all plowed, planted and cared for alike, the only difference in treatment being in the application of plant food. If the plots are one-twentieth acre in size, plant foods may be applied as follows.

+----------------------------+ PLOT 1. | Nitrate of Soda 8 lbs. | +----------------------------+

+----------------------------+ PLOT 2. | Acid Phosphate 16 lbs. | +----------------------------+

+----------------------------+ PLOT 3. | Nothing. | +----------------------------+

+----------------------------+ PLOT 4. | Muriate of Potash 8 lbs. | +----------------------------+

+----------------------------+ PLOT 5. | Lime 1 bushel. | +----------------------------+

Plot 3 is a check plot for comparison.

The measuring of the plots, weighing and application of the fertilizers, planting and care of the crops, weighing and measuring at harvest, should be carefully and accurately done.

A number of additional plots may be added if desired to test the effect of plant foods in combination. For instance:

+----------------------------+ PLOT 6. | Nitrate of Soda 8 lbs. | | Acid Phosphate 16 " | +----------------------------+

+----------------------------+ PLOT 7. | Nitrate of Soda 8 lbs. | | Muriate of Potash 8 " | +----------------------------+

+----------------------------+ PLOT 8. | Nothing. | | | +----------------------------+

+----------------------------+ PLOT 9. | Muriate of Potash 8 lbs. | | Acid Phosphate 16 " | +----------------------------+

+----------------------------+ PLOT 10. | Nitrate of Soda 8 lbs. | | Acid Phosphate 16 " | | Muriate of Potash 8 " | +----------------------------+

If the amount of fertilizer is too small to distribute evenly over the plot, mix it thoroughly with a few quarts of dry earth or sand to give it more bulk and then apply it.

In the use of fertilizers it should always be remembered that small crops are not always due to lack of plant food, but may be caused by an absence of the other conditions necessary for root growth and development. The soil may not be sufficiently moist to properly supply the plants with water. Too much water may check ventilation. Poor tillage may check root development. Unless the physical conditions are right the possible effects of additional plant food in the form of fertilizers are greatly diminished. The farmer who gets the largest return from fertilizers is the one who gives greatest attention to the physical properties of the soil. He makes use of organic matter and is very thorough in his methods of tillage. Every farmer should apply to his State Experiment Station for bulletins on the subject of fertilizers.

CHAPTER XXIV

THE ROTATION OF CROPS

SYSTEMS OF CROPPING

There are two methods or systems of cropping the soil:

The One Crop System, or the continuous cropping of the soil year after year with one kind of crop.

The Rotation of Crops or the selection of a given number of different crops and growing them in regular order.

The purpose of this chapter is to inquire into the effect of these two systems of cropping:

On the soil conditions necessary for the best growth and development of the crops.

On the market value of the crops.

On the increase of or the protection from injurious diseases and insects.

On the distribution of labor throughout the year.

On the caring for farm stock.

On the providing for home supplies.

This inquiry and the conclusion will be based on the following facts learned in the foregoing chapters.

Plant roots need for their growth and development (see Chapter II):

A mellow yet firm soil.

A moist soil.

A ventilated soil.

A warm soil.

A soil supplied with plant food.

Decaying organic matter or humus is one of the most important ingredients of our soils. Because:

It greatly influences soil texture and therefore the conditions necessary for root growth.

Its presence or absence greatly influences the att.i.tude of soils toward water, the most important factor in plant growth. Its presence helps light, sandy soils to hold more water and to better pump water from below, while it helps close, heavy soils to better take in the water which falls on their surface. Its absence causes an opposite state of affairs.

The presence of organic matter checks excessive ventilation in too open, sandy soil by filling the pores, and improves poor ventilation in heavy clay soils by making them more open.

Humus, on account of its color, influences the heat absorbing powers of soils.