VIII. 



.552 MAIZE 



CHAP. 308. Effect of Continuous Cropping. — It is well known that 



the crop-producing power of the soil is reduced to a point 



below that of profitable cultivation by continuous cropping 



with maize or any other cereal, even where the soils are rich 



in the constituents of plant-food. As the average soils of 



South Africa are not rich in these substances (IT 304) they 



will the sooner become exhausted, unless steps are taken to 



renovate them. There has been a tendency in parts of South 



Africa to crop continuously over a long series of years, until 



the soil has become "sick" or "worn out". Continuous 



cropping means the annual removal of a certain amount of 



plant-food from the soil, without replacing any. Neither the 



greatest quantity, nor the best quality, can be produced by 



growing the same crop year after year on the same soil. 



Fortunately there are still large tracts of unbroken veld, but 



they cannot be drawn upon indefinitely ; the time is rapidly 



approaching when there will be no more raw veld to be broken 



to the plough. When this time comes South Africa will be 



compelled to resort to some means of restoring the fertility of 



the soil. 



This has been the experience in every farming country, until 

 the lesson was learned and a more normal practice established. 

 Where the soils are naturally poor in plant-food farmers 

 should not wait until they are " worn out " before adopting a 

 better method of treatment ; it is easier and cheaper to main- 

 tain and add to what is already there than to undertake to 

 renovate an already impoverished soil. 



309. Maintaining the Crop-producing Power , of the Soil. — 

 Continuous cropping with a heavy-yielding crop like maize, 

 will inevitably result in exhaustion of the soil unless steps 

 are taken to maintain its crop-producing power. 



Quoting Mr. Runciman, 1 the President of the British Board 

 of Agriculture : "The fundamental secret of continued success 

 in farming is the maintenance of soil fertility. This is where 

 England excels. Her system of land tenure is often criticized, 

 but it is a significant circumstance that it is associated with 



1 In a speech at the Government dinner given in honour of the American 

 Commission on Agricultural Credit and Co-operation, July, 10,13, as reported in 

 The Field, Vol. CXXII, p. r 2 8, 19 July, 1913. 



