S535 



LIFE, food, and raiment are directly or indirectly de- 

 pendent upon agricultural products. In the settlement of 

 our country, land was abundant and people were few, con- 

 sequently little thought was given to the needs of the 

 increasing numbers of succeeding generations. As the land 

 first cultivated lost its fertility, the tide of population turned 

 westward where unlimited areas of virgin soil awaited the 

 herds and plowshares of the settlers. But this fresh area 

 has been occupied, and to maintain the fertility of those 

 fields that are still productive and to restore those that have 

 become exhausted is the problem now facing agriculture. 



The maintenance of the fertility of a productive soil 

 demands the intelligent application of the principles of 

 agricultural chemistry. The restoration of wornout fields 

 is a difficult and costly undertaking. The successful farmer 

 must reinforce his art by the application of the fundamental 

 information derived from the study of chemistry, geology, 

 botany, bacteriology, and entomology. 



Chemistry aids agriculture in many ways. By means 

 of it, exact data are collected and the fundamental reasons 

 for practical results are explained. Then, too, chemistry 

 invents new or improves old methods of fertilization. The 

 chemist analyzes soils, manures and vegetable products. 

 The value of soil analysis to the practical farmer, perhaps 

 formerly overrated, in more recent years has been under- 

 rated. From a soil analysis the farmer can at least learn 

 if his soil is unusually deficient in any important element. 

 Chemistry also protects the agriculturist from the impositions 

 of the unscrupulous fertilizer manufacturer. 



The thorough analysis of farm products enables the 



