OREGON FARMER 39 



fertility induced ever fully take the place of natural fertility. Oregon 

 farming lands for the most part have great natural fertility. This 

 is of special importance to the general farmer who must depend 

 mainly upon natural fertility rather than upon costly commercial 

 fertilizers. While some Oregon farms because of poor drainage 

 or long abuse have soils that are out of condition, they are not out of 

 fertility, even though the present crop yields are low. The soils 

 are neglected, not poor, and with good tillage methods and rotations 

 or a little under drainage or liming, quickly respond. There are 

 very few soil types or areas in the state that could be called poor 

 or worthless. 



So then, before the farm is purchased the soil should be examined 

 most carefully for fertility. Soil survey maps of the state or govern- 

 ment should be used where obtainable as they give a great deal of 

 valuable information, but unfortunately Oregon has no state soil 

 survey as yet and government maps are for very limited areas only. 

 Such as there are, can be secured by writing the Bureau of Soils, 

 Washington, D. C. 



The crops growing upon the land, if there be such and if all the 

 conditions as to season, treatment, etc., are normal, should of course 

 give considerable information as to the fertility of the soil, but hi 

 many cases the crop is not a sure guide; nor on the other hand can 

 any man, no matter how wise he be, determine the fertility from 

 the character of the natural vegetation, especially by the presence 

 or absence of any one plant. Oaks four feet through will sometimes 

 be found on soil only a foot and a half deep. However, the natural 

 vegetation does give some indication of quality. Soils on which the 

 pines grow and other trees do not, are as a rule inferior in quality, 

 while soils where the basswood, walnut, ash and maple grow well, 

 are generally of the best quality. On the Western Oregon hill 

 lands a dense growth of vigorous scrub oak is generally a good 

 indication, while a light scattering growth usually means lack of 

 depth or quality. The growth of fir seems to be regulated more by 

 the moisture conditions than by other soil qualities. On the hills 

 the growth of the "fern" or brake is often deceiving. A very heavy 

 growth will generally indicate merely a greater abundance of moisture 

 from seepage, and a light growth does not by any means indicate 

 a lack of fertility. In Eastern Oregon a dense growth of heavy 

 black sage indicates the better, more fertile soils, while the absence 

 of this brush and the presence of greasewood, saltbush and saltgrass 

 indicate poor natural drainage and the presence of excessive alkali. 

 Sedges or slough grass mixed with other grasses in a field indicate 

 poor under drainage. The poor growth of the clovers and the 

 presence of an abundance of sorrel and moss indicate, in Western 

 Oregon, acid soils in need of lime, while along the coast the growth 

 of huckleberries, blueberries and salal brush to the exclusion of 

 others indicates lack of lime. 



The color of the soil is generally a fair indicator of fertility, the 

 darker red or darker gray or brown shades indicating the richer 

 soils. A black color, however, does not always indicate great 



