8 AGRICULTURAL CONDITIONS IN SOUTHERN NEW YORK. 



the poor ])hysical condition of the soil; (2) because of the hick of 

 humus; and (o) because of the soil acidity. Other reasons might 

 be mentioned, but they are more or less dependent on those specified. 

 There are a number of instances where clover has been successfully 

 grown on these lands after the conditions enumerated have been 

 corrected. The method of procedure advocated in the following 

 pages is based on that used in these successful cases. 



PHYSICAL CONDITION OF THE SOIL. 



A poor physical condition of the soil and its consequent loss of 

 plant food are largely the result of bad management. While the soils 

 in this region for the most part have a good surface drainage, the 

 particles of which they are composed are so fine and the bed rock is 

 often so close to the surface that it is difficult to get the water out of 

 them. The constant removal of crops without the addition of manure 

 has exhausted the organic matter of the soil. Then, too, very little 

 or, at the most, very insufficient cultivation has been practiced. 

 Consequently, the soils are compacted so closely that it is practically 

 impossible either for air to get into the soil or for water to get out. 

 This means that there is no more important factor in the improve- 

 ment of these soils, especially at the first, than deep plowing and 

 thorough cultivation. Tillage is a most efficient as well as cheap 

 method of increasing the productivity of this land. 



LACK OF HUMUS. 



The absence of humus or decayed organic matter is, of course, the 

 primary reason for the poor physical condition of the soil. There is 

 nothing which will correct this condition more rapidly or more com- 

 pletely than the addition of barnyard manure, but here we find a 

 serious problem. Witliout good forage crops, such as clover or corn, 

 the farmer is unable to produce feed for a large number of stock. 

 Consequently, the amount of manure available is very small. 



Clover is the most desirable green manure, but it is difficult to grow 

 this crop without the addition of manure. Therefore, it is usually 

 necessary to resort to other crops at first. Since buckwheat grows 

 readily on most of these soils and winter rye usually makes a good 

 growth, these two crops seem to be the most available ones with 

 which to get the first supply of organic matter. 



NEED OF LIME. 



It has been found tliat practically all of the soils of the type referred 

 to in this paper respond readily to the use of lime. The poor drainage 

 and compactness of the soil seem to have given rise to an acid condi- 



[Cir. ('.4 1 



