372 



Missouri Agricultural Report. 



except under exceptional circumstances. To absolutely maintain 

 fertility on the average upland requires not only a careful system 

 of crop rotation, but the feeding back of crops in addition, as well 

 as the turning under of an, occasional legume crop, such as clover 

 or cowpeas, and usually the application of some outside fertilizing 

 material, if the soil is to be absolutely maintained in productive- 

 ness. It is possible to maintain fertility vv^ithout feeding the crops 

 to stock, providing only the grain crops are sold and all the straw 

 and fodder is turned under as well as additional legume crops, and 

 providing further that some outside fertilizing materials be ap- 

 plied, particularly phosphates. 



Now, to apply such principles to tenant farming, and at the 

 same time to do justice to the tenant himself, requires greater 

 liberality than the average landlord will show. It is possible to 

 work out a system where both landlord and tenant will receive a 

 fair profit, providing both men happen, to be of the right sort, but 

 this can rarely be done in any case under a system of one-year 

 leasage. We shall never be able to work out a system of soil pres- 

 ervation with a short-time system of tenancy. Of course, there 

 are all kinds of tenan.ts, and one frequently hears the expression 

 that one year is too long for many of these men, but it has been 

 my observation that the man who treats his tenants in the right 

 way is usually able to get good ones — men whom he is able to keep 

 for years at a time. I realize that the developing of good tenants 

 is no easy matter and that it requires time and patience, but it is' 

 useless to attempt to conserve soil fertility with profit to the land- 

 lord with a poor tenant. 



Champion, 10 ears Reid's Yellow Dent, buys' classes, Tenth Anniuil Missouri State 

 Corn Show, shown by Harvey Jordan, Shelbina, Mo. 



