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Show TO KEEP FERTILITY Proper Physical Condition and Vegetable Matter Needed. Rotation That Will Distribute Labor Throughout Year and Maintain Supply of Nitrogen It Best Much Drpendt on Crop. IBs It. K. I'VTn.lt.suN, Muutana Ex- pi I .llienl SI .1 1 II -Ii I No way has been discovered to maintain the fertility of arid landa exctpt by getting the soil in the proper prop-er physical condition ami supplying plenty of r. t;:blc m utter, so that the plants nii utilize the rainfall and the essen;!.il tlcmcHs of fert'lity to the brst advantage. In order to maintain the ferlUli) tliher by the application of vegttnhle matter directly or In the form of manure. It is absolutely nec- ssary that a (roper rotation be es-Itablishxl. es-Itablishxl. Ity a proper rotation t 'iih an one Unit will distribute the la-! la-! hor throughout the yiar. that wi'l maintain the supply of nltrogeu, Mid ! licit will give each crop the place where It can utilize the mailable le-mints le-mints to the best iid n nt: e-. No tln-; tln-; tie rotation is m i p'd to all parts of our country, t i i i lunu tn hii p.ir licular ! :. I . : v . or to r;. q.inrur i cctioh i,f lain! However, tl.eie i t- eer!,.!n ( 1 1 ',!-pies ',!-pies thiii are s.ppli. I'bic cn t n v. lit re. A gica' i!i i.l t.i etu.s oi o:i t!.e crop ili;: Ii. t'i 1 1 g' nu i; A n t:it on for a . dry tin i.i in .liii i .ee ssi'-il; diftcr from a rotiiiiol, ; , j-li.l inr ini;.. (ed lands. For dry lend., tt hi-- hem r oiiimend- d that Ili.Miir rcii.lon le adopted. The liisi n:isoi! v inter wheat la usually raisid. as soon us the crop la ! temove.l il . pi hi Is thoroughly 'disked sinl ha n n i d. so as to ire-jsirve ire-jsirve the moisture. The year follow-i follow-i 1 ii k tl: 1. in) Is plowed In the spring and then summer tallowed during that season. The third year another crop of win. 'it Is raised, and then corn or so-re nt Im r cultivated crop the fourth year. Muring the summer the soil is iiiternllid und all the moisture retained. The fifth year the land la given ovtr to the growing of wheat I or oats. The ilxth year It la summer pfnll.iwed again. Another crop of whmt is raised the seventh year and ! In the spring of the eighth year the 1-ind Is plowed au? (ceded to aTalf. using about ten ounds of seed per acre. The aeed Is usually sown without with-out a nurse crop. The alfalfa U left down for four years, after which the land may be plowed up and the same rotation repeated. Very good aim-cesa aim-cesa has been hud by following such a lystcm and In some canes the yields of grain have been nearly doubled, while upon farms that have been continually con-tinually cropped the yield has been constantly diminishing. The rotation should be divided so that It will distribute the labor throughout the year. The number of years to leave the land In alfalfa must be determined by the amount of live stock kept on the farm and the amouul of available labor. In order that the labor may be distributed throughout the year. It la necessary that some live stock be kept. To the farmer who has been continually raining wheat this perhaps does not Bound advisable. Many do not consider con-sider It profitable to raise anything but grain and as a result pay but little lit-tle attention to the fertility of the land. A very correct estimate of the soil can be had by noticing the growth of the plants. If the straw Is rank and the grain Inclined to lodge, the soil may contain a surplus of nitrogen. However, we are seldom troubled with this factor In the west. Lodging Lodg-ing Is usually caused by a lack of potassium, po-tassium, for the stiffness of the. straw Is to some extent governed by the amount of thla element present. In other words, the lodging of grain may be caused by too much nitrogen and also by a deficiency In the amount of potassium In the soil. Then again, lodging may be caused by rust or other diseases affecting the straw. If tbe farmer rinds hU grain chaffy w hen Indicating plenty of nitrogen, and If It at ill retains a healthy green color, he finds a stiff straw, Indicating sufficient suffi-cient potash, he may suspect that the sell la deficient In phosphorus. There may be plenty of this element In the soil, but It may be In an unnv illahle form. In this event It is necessary to supply this element or practice systems sys-tems or tillage that will aid In liberating liber-ating what la present In a dorr.ant condition. It Is not profitable for the weifern farmer to spend money tn applyltig these materials; the soils usually con-I con-I lain sufflcluit amounts that enn be ' made available by rotation and by 1 thorough methods Of cultivation. In conclusion I might say that the fer tlllty of the land in an arid region may be maintained by practicing rota-lien rota-lien of crops, by the application of manure and by a proper system of i soli cultivation. |