288 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



RErORT OF EXTENSION ,WORK WITH kSOILS. 



BY G. M. GRANTHAM. 



The Extension work in Soils is divided into two distinct divisions, 

 namely, the extension schools held dui-ing the winter months of January, 

 Februarj^ and March and the field work carried on during the remaining 

 months of the year. 



The Extension schools are usually held in co-operation with the County 

 Agent. The problems in which the farmer is, mostly interested are dis- 

 cussed as fully as time will warrant. At a number of meetings samples 

 of soils and marls are brought by fanners and ,sim])le tests for acidity 

 or lime contents are conducted, explaining where equii>ment for such 

 work can be obtained, the reactions of tests and hoAV such tests can be 

 carried on by the farmer under field conditions. The subjects discussed 

 are varied according to the different soil locations of the State, nature 

 of the meeting and class of people attending the meetings. The discus- 

 sion of the problems of the individual before and after such meetings 

 can be rated as no small part of this branch of work. 



Numerous evening meetings are held during the summer monthis, where 

 discussiouis similar to the above are emphasized. 



The summer field work is divided into two divisions, namely, the 

 carrying on of accurately controlled demonstration plots and the field 

 meetings held on such clenionstration fields. The demonstration plots 

 consists of work along the following lines : The use of commercial fer- 

 tilizers of different kinds and amounts on various soil types, rate of appli- 

 cation of manure and effect of re-inforcing of manures with phosphate, 

 different kinds and applications of limes and marls, the effect of fineness 

 of division of ground limestone as covering a rotation ; the use of various 

 crops as green manure cropis and their period of duration in the soil, and 

 the etfect of tillage operations on control of moisture and crop growth. 

 Accurate records are kept of these projects not only for one year but for 

 a number of years. Yield records are also kept, the yields being taken by 

 the field man rather than by the fanner or the person with whom we are 

 co-operating. 



The field meetings are usually held on the demonstration plots during 

 the growing season. On the field containing a small number of plots 

 usually a short meeting is held but where a larger number of plots are 

 located a half day meeting is arranged. 



In the field work phase of extension work results are derived from year 

 to year but we do not feel the work has been completed, for as the demon- 

 stration covers a number of years it is of more value than a one year 

 demonstration. On the Cass County Field, where our largest demonstra- 

 tions are located, our first year's results were scarcely striking enough 

 to bring before the fanner while at the close of the four year station 

 a lime and fertilizer treated plot had yielded approximately $75 more 

 of produce than an adjacent untreated plot. This same fact holds true 

 on a number of demonstration fields. Thus we feel it unjust to quote re- 

 sults as completed work. 



