LUTHER BURBANK 



In order to understand how to select soils and 

 how to secure the best results from them, one must 

 know the underlying principles of productive 

 ability of soils and the methods used by plants to 

 secure food from them. 



Farming is now considered a manufacturing 

 process. As a matter of fact, a farmer uses more 

 kinds of raw materials and produces more kinds 

 of finished products than any other manufacturer. 

 It is just as necessary that he select his raw 

 materials with extreme care as it is that the manu- 

 facturer of machinery select the most durable 

 kinds of wood and the strongest kinds of metal. 



Farmers have sometimes been criticised for 

 not using more fertilizers but this is not always a 

 just criticism. Fertilizers are valuable in some 

 cases, but often a better physical condition of the 

 soil would make it possible for the plants to secure 

 enough food materials to increase the yield 

 materially without adding fertilizers. 



Profit in crops depends upon the location of 

 the crops grown, the use to which the crops are 

 put, and the cost of fertilizing when fertilizing is 

 necessary. There are other things which affect 

 the profits, but these are the underlying factors. 



No definite rules can be given about handling 

 the soil, for each one must work out his own 

 practice according to his own conditions. 



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