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By JOHN R. SPENCER 



Soil tonsiervation measureh building ihtf 



tVrtility of uur farm lands can do more to 

 improvi- thf nation's postwar health stand- 

 ards than all the pdls and druj; store pan- 

 aceas put together, according to a state- 

 ment made public here by the Middle West 

 Soil Improvement Committee. 



Human health depends on the sojl, 

 the statement points out. If the soil is 

 fertile, then the crops it produces will build 

 strong bodies and sturdy physical character- 

 istics. If the soil is poor, the crops it pro- 

 duces will be deficient in vitamins, minerals 

 and proteins necessary for insuring healthv 

 humans. 



This was forcibly demonstrated in draft 

 examinations for military service in World 

 War II In one Midwestern state where the 

 rich prairie soils have been a mainstay for 

 our increasing population, seven out of ten 

 selectees were accepted for the draft, where- 

 as in one of the Southern states where soil 

 fertility has been largely exhausted, onlv 

 three out of ten were taken. 



"The prevalence of deficient teeth in sonu 

 parts of the country in contrast to healthv 

 ones in other areas is another manlfestalion 

 of the effect of soil fertility on human 

 health. The advent of sterility at a star- 

 tling earlv age and numerous other he.dth 

 ailments suggest that these disabilities art- 

 caused bv malnutrition via poor qii.ilitv 

 crops from poor soil. 



The remedy lies in putting essmtial 

 minerals in the form of fertilizers into Na- 

 tures hands so that she can fabricate tin in 

 into health-building foods for the human 

 body. By feeding the soil necessary plant 

 foods containing nitrogen, phosphorous and 

 potash, farmers will enable that soil to pro- 

 vide higli quality crops that not onlv viehl 

 more food per acre, but better food at that. 



LOCAL CONTROL STRESSED 

 IN 1946 AAA PROGRAM 



larrncrs, with the help of their AAA 

 committeemen, will have more rc-sponsi- 

 bility in selecting practices to be carried 

 out on tlieir farms under the 19-46 AAA 

 program, according to an announcement 

 from the state AAA. 



Accordhi^ to the state committee, par- 

 ticipating farmers may sit down with their 

 neighbor committeeinen and select the 

 practices — from a list approved for the 

 county — which their farms neeil most. 

 Their selections will finally be approved 

 by their county committeemen within the 

 funds allocated lor the county's conserva- 

 tion program. 



The localized approach to the problem 

 of conservation is expected to speed up 

 the efficient reconversion of the nation's 

 farmland from the strain of war produc- 

 tion to longer-range soil-building and 

 water conservation. 



Animal pathologists at the University of 



Illinois have prepared and arc using a ne\\ 

 type of fowl pox vaccine. Results show a 

 high percentage of 'takes. " Qualified vet 

 erin.iri.ins h.ive full directions. 



Bud blight is one of the relatively new 

 diseases oi soybeans in Illinois. One oi 

 the symptoms is a spotting and necrosis 

 of the pods. Such pods are often poorly 

 filled and many oi them usually drop oH 

 before maturity. 



Testing of a large acreage of Illinois land 



shows thai about three-fourths of the farm 

 land or 2) million acres, needs phosphate 

 in addition to lime for clover and alfalfi 



These pictures illustrate symptoms of the 

 new brown rot soybean disease now wide- 

 ly distributed in Illinois. Left: Light-col- 

 ored areas between veins show earlier 

 stages oi progressive premature drying 



up. Dead tissue later makes plant appear 

 as though frosted. Right: Cross section of 

 stem shows dark discoloration of pith and 

 woody area of diseased plants alongside 

 healthy plant pictured at bottom. 



Mr. and Mrs. Jack Meyer oi Coles County 

 won't soon iorget the kindness oi these 

 neighbors (above) who ioUowed the 

 Golden Rule to the letter. Last summer 



NOVEMBER, 1945 



when Mr. Meyer was incapacitated alter 

 a serious operation, 16 neighbors with 

 their tractors came in to plow 77 acres. 

 Others at later intervals came to continue 



with the plowing, planting and cultivating 

 thus assuring the Meyers one of the finest 

 crops in their community, ior which they 

 have expressed sincere gratitude. 



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