342 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



SOME FACTORS IN SOIL FERTILITY. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Agriculture is a permanent industry and must exist as long as human 

 society. Indeed it is the most important supporter of other industries 

 and education. The betterment of agriculture is the foundation, the 

 basis of all general prosperity. The fertility of the soil is the greatest 

 of the natural resources. 



Plants require food for their existence and growth and if the soil 

 does not contain the required food elements or are infertile, life and 

 growth are impossible. Better tillage and improved varieties of seed 

 can not materially increase the production of infertile or depleted soils. 

 In fact no factor of crop production under the control of man, influences 

 the yield of crops to such an extent as the fertility of the soil. 



Under adverse climatic conditions the crops on an infertile soil may 

 fail completely while those on a fertile soil may yield fair returns. Thus 

 in a season of drought the plants on fertile soil make a more economical 

 use of the soil moisture and yield better than those on poor or infertile 

 soils. Fertility also acts as a protective agent against many diseases of 

 plants and it is very probable that a decrease in fertility accounts in 

 no small degree for the common occurrence of some plant diseases and 

 insect pests. This may be illustrated by the Hessian Fly on wheat dur- 

 ing the season of 192(>. Where phosphates were applied to the heavier 

 soils in a number of our demonstrations according to counts made by 

 C. W. Simpson, the injury by fly was much less. Moreover, where seed- 

 ing is delayed because of this pest, the handicap may be largely over- 

 come by the use of fertilizers. 



In as much as the success and prosperity of a farmer depend largely 

 upon the fertility of his soil it behooves every farmer and landowner 

 to recognize and appreciate the importance of this basic factor of crop 

 production. Thus they should direct their efllorts towards the mainte- 

 nance and increase of the fertility of their land. 



Since the fertility of the soil is the greatest of the natural resources 

 and is the most important supporter of all agriculture it follows that 

 it is both desirable and obligatory on the part of national, state and 

 county governments to do all that is practicable towards the mainte- 

 nance or the increase of the fertility of the soil. 



