low in phosphorus that good red clo- 

 ver seed would not grow even if the 

 limestone situation was corrected, Farm 

 Adviser Shuman said. 



In addition to correcting the acidity 

 with limestone, Kennedy was advised 

 to drill in 150-pounds per acre of a 

 0-20-0 super phosphate ahead of his 

 legume seeding. 



Duplicate records of every tested 

 field are being kept on file at the 

 Whiteside laboratory because the orig- 

 inal test record is so important in 

 checking on the deposits and with- 

 drawals in the soil fertility bank ac- 

 count, Shuman said. 



Instruction sheets for gathering soil 

 samples are furnished farmers by the 

 Farm Bureau. It is pointed out that 

 many more tests can be made by the 

 laboratories if farmers will collect and 

 send in their own samples. In cases 

 where this is impractical, the Whiteside 

 laboratory will have someone collect the 

 samples at the farm for a $3 service 

 charge. 



The Whiteside laboratory fee per 

 sample test is: acidity, 5 cents; phos- 

 phorus, 10 cents; potassium, 20 cents. 

 Since several thousand dollars of Farm 

 Bureau funds have been used in in- 

 stalling the soil testing laboratory at 

 Whiteside, the charge for tests to non- 

 members is slightly higher than for 

 members. 



Grundy County Farm Bureau also 

 has its laboratory under way. Farm 



Adviser M. E. Tascher. reports that the 

 laboratory will give complete service, 

 including potash tests using the newly- 

 developed photolometer. 



Lee County Farm Bureau also is in 

 the business of keeping "soil bank ac- 

 counts." Farm Adviser C. E. Yale ex- 

 plained that in the past the Farm Bu- 

 reau has given the service of testing for 

 acidity, phosphate and potash, using 

 the Purdue method for potash. A new 

 photolometer for the reading of the 

 new potash test has been installed. 

 Farm Adviser Yale pointed out that 

 the demand for soil testing has grown 

 so that the farm adviser cannot take 

 care of all the work and the soil sam- 

 ples have been piling up. A technician 

 now will be able to keep up with the 

 work schedule. 



Farm Adviser Tascher says that the 

 soil laboratory is "the only way we 

 can stay on top of our soil program. 

 To instill confidence and assurance in 

 our recommendations, the existence of 

 the laboratory will be of immeasurable 

 value, particularly in getting the cor- 

 rect information to farm people on 

 their soils. By having it within the 

 county and near to their homes, more 

 farm people will take advantage of it 

 because of greater confidence and time- 

 saving features." 



Farm Adviser Shuman on Jan. 18 

 had this to report on 115 days of op- 

 eration of the laboratory. Some 3100 



FARM AND HOME WEEK 

 IS CANCELLED 



The 44th annual Farm and Home 

 Week originally scheduled for Feb. 

 6-8 at the University of Illinois, 

 Urbana, has been cancelled. 



Decision to cancel Farm and Home 

 Week was reached after the Office of 

 War Mobilization directed that all con- 

 ferences and group meetings of more 

 than 50 persons scheduled after Feb. 1 

 be cancelled. 



tests have been made, or an average ot 

 25 samples per day. Maximum opera- 

 tion possible by the laboratory is esti- 

 mated at 50 samples per day. 



Since the laboratory has got in full 

 swing, the income from tests has a 

 little more than offset the technician's 

 wages. It is estimated that by Septem- 

 ber, 1945, more than 300 farmers will 

 have made use of the laboratory serv- 

 ices. The farm adviser holds a clinic 

 every 10 days for those who have 

 submitted soil samples for testing. 



An acorn can never grow up to be a sugar 

 tree but some acorns develop into scrubby 

 oaks. Cut the poor trees for fuel or posts. 



When you build that new home after the 



war. remember to build it termite-proof. 



1. As a result of Dr. Bray's soil tests, 

 properly used and interpreted, we are 

 in a position to make definite and ac- 

 curate fertilizer recommendations. 



2. The tests are practical. 



i 



Farm Adviaer Frank H. Shuman checks 



over the drying racka in Whiteside county's 



soil laboratory. 



3. A minimum of 1 million acres 

 tested per year should be the goal for 

 Illinois. 



4. County soil testing laboratories 

 are urged as a basis for fertilizer rec- 

 ommendations. 



5. Quick action is necessary if lab- 

 oratories are to be set up and soil sam- 

 ples are collected for recommendations 

 for the 1945 season. 



6. Testing of samples should be done 

 by a part-time employee or regular em- 

 ployee devoting part time to testing 

 samples. Farm advisers should inter- 

 pret all tests. 



7. Farm operators are to collect sam- 

 ples. 



8. County laboratories may be of two 

 types ; 



a — Laboratory for acidity and phos- 

 phorus test. Samples to be sent to the 

 university for potash test, b — Com- 

 plete laboratory equipped for testing 

 acidity, phosphorus and potash. 



Other recommendations dealt with 

 the equipment for the laboratory. 



PLAN 



HAS SUPPORT 



OF FARM ADVISERS' 



ASSOCIATION 



HERE 



ARE ITS 

 CONCLUSIONS 



FEBRUARY. 1945 



