CROPS AND SOIL IMPROVEMENT 



restore fertility by the absence of the best seeds. 

 Man's intelligent assistance is a necessity. Suc- 

 cessful farming involves such assistance of nature 

 that the percentage of vegetable matter in the 

 soil shall be made high and kept high. There 

 must be such selection of plants for this purpose 

 that the organic matter will be rich in fertility, 

 and at the same time their growth must fit into 

 a scheme of crop production that can yield profit 

 to the farmer. Soils produce plants primarily 

 for their own needs. It is a provision of nature 

 to maintain and increase their productive power. 

 The land's share of its products is that part which 

 is necessary to this purpose. Skill in farming 

 provides for this demand of the soil while permit- 

 ting the removal of a large amount of animal food 

 within the crop-rotation. Lack of skill is respon- 

 sible for the depleted condition of soils on a ma- 

 jority of our farms. The land's share of the 

 vegetation it has produced has been taken from 

 it in large measure, and no other organic matter 

 has been given it in return. Its mineral store 

 is left inert, and the moisture supply is left un- 

 controlled. Helplessness results. 



Drainage. Productive soils are in a condition 

 to admit air freely. The presence of air in the 



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