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Show Extension Agent Warns of "Soil Medicines In a year of expected reduced production stemming from drouth, farmers and gardeners need to be doubly cautious about spending for questionable products that have little likelihood of enhancing production.' Dr. Paul D. Christensen, extension soil specialist, Utah State University, warns that "soil medicines are appearing in increasing numbers. He said, Contrary to the fantastic false statements and supposed benefits claimed for these products, chances are poor that there will be any eco- - nomic return from applying them to soils or crops. The soil medicines may consist of microbial inocu-lant- s, organic materials or crushed rock or minerals. The sales literature touting them generally comprises a conglomeration of scientific jargon, unrealistic assumptions, wildly fantastic assertions, and emotional misrep- from application of soil medicines are made. They are not necessarily related to the nature of the product. Among the claims are: supply nutrients in natural form, release locked in soil minerals, improve soil structure and aeration, increase water holding capacity, reduce or eliminate resentations. These are in soils, increase numbers of earth- seasoned with enough misplaced facts to make the package palatable to the consumer. Many claims of benefits worms, increase microbe activity, improve water use efficiency, reduce or eliminate crop disease, reduce drug addiction insect infestation, improve storage or keeping quality, and improve nutritional value of crops. Similar claims are made for materials so dissimilar as a lime deposit from a hot spring, an organic solution containing more than 99.9 percent water, a patented bacteria in manure compost, or a gypsum-rock Dr. ' mixture. Christensen said, "Whenever a soil medicine is exposed to the valid tests of research, the fantastic results fail to appear. However, the success of the soil medicine movement is evi pare the treated area with the untreated during the same growing season and in the same field or garden area. dence that the untrained layman is not always equipped to make sound evaluations. He noted that natural variations in crop performance between fields and from one year to the next often lead people to mistakenly identify the cause as some product they have applied. To obtain a realistic basis for evaluating any treatment or product that is applied, Dr. Christensen advises leaving untreated strips or areas in the field or garden at the time the new treatment is applied. Com The extension soil specialist said that people who are interested in information about specific products can contact their local Extension office or the Department of Soil Science and Biometeorology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah. For more information on soil medicines ask for the new Cooperative Extension Service bulletin, i Soil Medicines. . Recycled Dead tree? Got a dead tree in your y4rd? Instead of chopping it down, make use of it. vine Plant a first removat its base ing any branches that and may fall, of course in a few months it will be clothed again. Or if you do cut it down, make use of the stump. place Cut it off waist-higa garden chair next to it, and you have a natural table. Use it as a pedestal or for a container plant hollow out the top, and make a natural planter in it. fast-growi- ng Shop The Chdef h, For Savings $$$$$$ On Famous Cache Valley Cheese 3 Miles West Of SmHIifjeld In Amalga |