180 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



soil, both to neutralize acidity, and to assist in tlie helpful decay of 

 the vegetable matter. After the removal or plowing down of the 

 summer crop, the laud may be seeded with wheat or grass. 



This system does not interfere with any regular rotations, though 

 in many instances adding two or more valuable forage crops, that, 

 in their use, contribute to the improvement. By this treatment the 

 physical character is improved, chemical conditions are made bet- 

 ter, the active fertility is increased, and crops are better than if the 

 soil had been allowed to lay bare after tlie first crop was removed 

 and the consequent losses in condition follow, due to leaching, and 

 to the blowing and washing of the soil. 



This system is constructive, and on soils of a high natural strength 

 crops may be grown and removed tor a long time without the 

 necessity of large additions of plant food, either in the form of 

 manure or artificial fertilizers. The normal supplies in the soil are 

 capable of providing for good crops; money expended for artificial 

 plant food is saved for future needs. Dependence is placed mainly 

 upon good management fo increase the stores of available food. 



Experiments that have been conducted at our own station show 

 that this method is entirely practical, and will result both in im- 

 proving the physical character of the soil, and in the increase of 

 its crop-producing power, notwithstanding there is a constant re- 

 moval of the essential plant-food elements, nitrogen, phosphoric 

 acid and potash. Soils that ten years ago would not produce an 

 equivalent of .more than one ton of hay per acre, have, by this sys- 

 tem of management, been brought to an average of two and one- 

 half tons per acre, and constantly improving. Heavy soils that were 

 wet, sticky and cold, now are easier to work, can be cultivated earlier 

 in spring, and produce larger crops every year. In some of the plots 

 the potash removed over and above that supplied has in a short 

 time been more than an equivalent of one ton of muriate of potash, 

 phosphoric acid equivalent to more than one and one-half tons of 

 acid phosphate, and nitrogen equivalent to one ton of nitrate of soda. 

 That is, with attention to and direction of natural agencies, the soil 

 under a constant and large removal of plant food is producing more 

 than double what it did under old conditions. 



In the case of the sandy soil, we start with a low content of 

 mineral food, phosphoric acid and potash, as well as a low content 

 of nitrogen; the physical character is also such as to require binding 

 rather than separating the particles, as in the case of the clay soil, 

 hence cultivation will not have the same effect. If in the beginning 

 the soil is limed, preferably with ground limestone, or oyster shells, 

 and the land is planted with some leguminous crop, and only the 

 mineral elements, phosphoric acid and potash applied, the conditions 

 are favorable for a crop, not only of high value from the feed stand- 

 point, but constructive in its character. It builds up the soil in 

 vegetable matter, and adds to the absorptive properties for moisture 

 and plant food, thus reducing the tendency toward wastefulness. 

 The leguminous crop harvested in the fall should be followed imme- 

 diately either by a winter legume, as vetch, or with wheat or rye, 

 which will hold the soil and prevent losses during the winter, Avhile 

 at the same time adding vegetable matter. This winter crop may 

 be harvested early in the spring, and following by other legumes, 

 or by corn or millet, which are again planted immediately after the 



