196 THE FARMER OF TO-MORROW 



years. The records are fairly complete as to 

 what it has grown in that time. By simple 

 arithmetic, again can we find how rich that soil 

 was in plant food, available and unavailable, 

 a thousand years ago? Apparently we can, 

 if we have faith in the orthodox doctrine of 

 soil fertility. 



This brings us back home to the late 

 National Conservation Commission. Analyze 

 our own soils, make a separate analysis for 

 every acre, if necessary. It is no greater task 

 than the Bureau of Soils is undertaking now 

 to determine the cropping qualities of our 

 acres. Take either nitrogen, potash, or phos- 

 phoric acid. Not all of them, as any one, par- 

 ticularly the lowest one, will be sufficient. 

 Divide this figure by the mineral requisite of 

 the staple crops grown on that particular soil, 

 and we should have the resources of that soil 

 blocked out as absolutely as the coal in a mine. 



But we did not do it. The Bureau of Soils, 

 to whom the question of soil resources was 

 referred by the Commission, happens to be a 

 heretic as concerns the theory of Liebig, 

 though, as we have already hinted, they stand 

 almost alone in their heresy. 



Instead, it was suggested that our soils be 



