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Show THE PROGRESSIVE OPINION The Plow Is NOT the Enemy of the Farmer, Says a Noted Agronomist, Who Replies to That Charge in a Recently Published Book I' . " I ! f - Mm07":47i: By ELMO SCOTT WATSON Released by Western Newspaper Union. IS THE plow the arch-villai- n in the tragedy of soil ero-sion that costs American agri-culture two billion dollars a year through the loss of pre-cious nitrogen, phosphorus and potash from the nation's farms? Or is it one of man-kind's traditional benefac-tors? Will the plow eventual-ly become an obsolete imple-ment and a museum piece, or will it continue to be one of farming's main reliances? Americans, especially farmers, who have learned to "revere the plow" and who read the book "Plow-man's Folly" written by Edward H. Faulkner and published recently by the University of Oklahoma Press, or who saw articles in the newspa-pers based upon that book, no doubt were startled when Mr. Faulkner told them that the plow was an en-emy rather than a friend of agri-culture. But the old saying about there being "two sides to every ques-tion" has proved true again, for no less an authority than Dr. William A. Albrecht, head of the soils de-partment of the University of Mis-souri, now comes forward to defend the plow and to offer a rebuttal to Mr. Faulkner's charges against it. Dr. Albrecht both agrees and dis-agrees with the author of "Plow-man's Folly." He acknowledges that farmers in the silt loam soil areas of the United States have, In the past, plowed too much. As a result, the heavy rainfall in these regions has washed away priceless soil. But the question, "to plow or not to plow," cannot be answered "yes" or "no" nor is it safe to make hastv Pluwiug scenes such as this will not soon vanish from the American scene, says a noted agronomist who refutes the charges in a recently published book that the plow is the enemy of agriculture. soon be expended. As a result, the soil could offer nothing and no growth could occur." Plowing has the further scientific value of helping the soil supply a larger amount of soluble nitrogen for growing crops than would other-wise be available, according to Dr. Albrecht. Studies of the nitrate sup-ply in soil planted to corn forcefully support this finding. Tests were made on three adjoin-ing plots planted to corn. One plot was unplowed. The second was plowed. The third was both plowed and cultivated. The soluble nitrogen supply in the plot that was plowed and cultivated was at least 30 per matter sandwiched in further ex tends the period of sterility of tht soil due to dryness.' Crops are noi declining or failing because plowinf is drying out the soil. "The forces that turn plowed land into bare, eroded fields are not the mold-boar- plow and the horses oi tractor that pull it. They are thf continued removal of soil fertilitj with little or no return of needed plant foods. Plowing is not tht cause of the depletion of the fertilitj supply. Depletion occurs because ol the fertility removed when the crop is hauled off to market. The plow Is not the exploiter; rather it is thf farmer. The nlow is merelv thi tnnl generalizations In any other respect while dealing with this subject. The crux of the whole question lies in the soil and climatic conditions of the geographical region Involved. "We need to plow less on some soils and, conversely, we need to plow more and deeper on others," asserts Dr. Albrecht. "We need to learn that the dif-- i ferences In degree of soil devel--' opment according to climatic dif-ferences are factors in deter-mining how important the plow is." In "Plowman's Folly," Mr. Faulk-ner charged that the moldboard plow "now in use on farms throughout the civilized world is the least satis-factory implement for the prepara-- . tion of the land for the production cent greater than in the unplowed tract. In the plowed tract it was between 25 and 30 per cent greater. "Crop yields correspond to the level of these nitrate supplies," says Dr. Albrecht. "The farmer may not know that these higher levels of ni-trate are responsible for his im-proved crop yield. Nor may he understand that they are the result of his making the soil 'turn turtle' with his plow. He simply plows ahead of the corn to get a better crop. His inability to point out the underlying scientific channels through which the effects of plowing are transmitted to the crop, does not put the plow into bad repute in his eyes. "Surely the hundreds of thousands of corn producers will not suddenly discard so ancient an implement merely because they cannot call to that facilitates his exploitation at 9 faster rate and over more acres thar before the plow was given him. The plow has helped him feed many ol us too far removed from the lane to appreciate its exploitation." In urging that the plow be junked as an agricultural implement, Mr. Faulkner's book advocated the use of the disc harrow as a means oi producing more and better crops, because it would incorporate croj residues, green manures and organ ic matter into the top soil. To this suggestion Dr. Albrecht had the fol-lowing to say: "The author of 'Plowman's Folly' condemns the plow because it inverts completely the upper portion of the soil profile. In its place, however, he advocates the use of the disk har-row which carries out a similoT i I f xl one has ever advanced a scientific reason for plowing." Moreover, he says that the plow is responsible for "all the erosion, the sour soils, the mounting floods, the lowering water j ' tables, the vanishing wild life, the j compact and impervious soil sur faces" that have harassed Ameri-- 1 can farmers for a generation, , And there the University of Mis-- souri scientist disagrees. He holds ( that even though the average farmer can't give a scientific answer to the question "Why plow?", the men of science can provide plenty of valid reasons for doing so. High on his ; list of reasons is the fact that this practice supplies the soil with oxy-gen which helps transform its chem-ical components into usable plant food for growing crops. Aerating the Soil. "Any microbiologist will testify that plowing aerates the soil," he says. "As a consequence of the change of atmosphere in the soil and because of the stirring by the mold-boar- d rjlow. there is new 'life. I process, differing only in degree." To Mr. Faulkner's contention thai crop residues or organic mattei from plants allowed to grow of their own accord should be incorporated into the top soil without the addition of manure, lime or other fertilizers, Dr. Albrecht replies: "Such a proposal does not take into account differences in vegeta-tion in type or quality. Weeds or forest trees as ancient as the se-quoias are taken on a par in the 'Plowman's Folly' thesis with leg-umes as soil rejuvenating agencies. The author cites' 'every wooded country' as a f erfect example ol soil maintenancs, but neglects tc mention the low level of fertility and the difficulty involved in maintain-ing life." Mr. Faulkner's belief, that the prevalence of wild life on the west-ern plains was due to the fact that this region was unplowed, comes in for some critical analysis, also. Dr. Albrecht points out that the un-plowed wooded areas of New Eng-land which our Puritan ancestors first settled, supported only a few wild turkeys and squirrels. In further refutation of the con-tention in "Plowman's Folly" that "principles which are valid in the forest are valid in the field," Dr. Albrecht asserts: "In view of the fact that the soils differ as widely as they do under forest and under prairie, we surely cannot subscribe to the belief that all 'principles valid for the forest are valid for the fields." Summarizing his views on the e subject, Dr. Albrecht con-cludes: "The indictment of the plow by the book 'Plowman's Folly' will not stand against the facts of sci-ence nor the judgment of experi-enced farmers. This publication will fall far short of helping us to realize that 'the Garden of Eden, almost literally, lies under our feet almost anywhere on earth we care to step,' provided we allow vegetation to grow and cling to the disk harrow as a means of turning it under rath-er than to the mold-boar- d plow." DR. WILLIAM A. ALBRECHT their aid scientific evidence, when someone concludes for them that the plow is the cause of increased ero-sion and other devastation that is so easily associated with it." Villains of Erosion. To Mr. Faulkner's charge that plowing is solely responsible for ero-sion, Dr. Albrecht counters with the assertion that the real villains are continuous cropping and the steady removal of plant food elements year after year without any effort to re-plenish the soil's resources of nitro-gen, phosphorus and potash. "It is true that plowing and crop-ping a soil year after year bring with them declining crop yields," he says. "For these one might readily pounce upon the plow as the culprit in the case. But the fact is that declining crop yields have other causes than merely the plowing op-eration. They cannot be explained away by the simple belief that 'the explosive separation of the soil mass wrecks all capillary connections temporarily'; and that 'the organic "The soil is a factory in which energy is expended. Tons of carbon are being burned to form carbon dioxide. Sulphur is oxidized into sul-- l phur dioxide. Ammonia is changed to nitrate. Other similar combus-tions are taking place. "A corn field under maxi-mum growing activity in July burns .an amount of carbon equal to the , coal used in running a steam engine in order to form car-bon dioxide. Can anyone deny the necessity of air for such a perform-ance? Surely no one would close the draft by refusing to plow and thus destroy such crop producing power. "This burning business in the soil j by means of oxygen from the air i must go on, if the plant nutri-- ( ents tied up in chemical combination with carbon are to be released for repeated use by other plants that follow. Were this performance not proceeding in the soil, life on the globe would soon become extinct. The soil's productive power would If Bombs Should Fall Here We have not been bombed by enemy planes yet. Most of us believe it will never happen, but some of our best minds still think that before the Axis gives up it will attempt to strike one desperate blow at this country. There is a group of women in this country who refuse to succumb to over-optimis- They call themselves the Women's Ambulance and Defense Corps of America. They are adhering to a pro-gram of preparedness for the worst. And if Axis planes should succeed in bombing the United States the WADC will be ready to do the job of caring for casualties. , '1 g 1 y i L ,1 s,l s 111 - , f - K 1 p. n x "v,4 - 3 r " I is ' , i EMERGENCY CALL A unit of the WADC rushes to the scene of a "disaster" during a drill in Los Angeles, Calif. They wear natty uniforms designed for utility rather than decorativeness. CASUALTY The squad hur-ries to a man who is supposed to have been struck by a car at night. Blindfolds simulate black-out conditions. mMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmt: m t 'lA V V K (i"" ' l ?v - TOUCH SYSTEM Injuries are a fractured leg, bleeding ar-tery and a fractured rib. All diag-nosis is done by touch. FIRST AID quickly follows diagnosis. Still blindfolded, the women tie bandages, apply splints and make tourniquets. j , sys Si, I - " s ' $ j aftM.vrt-.y-- &&i&.:fa$z:- : IMPORTANT to whoever gets the patient next is the time tourniquet was applied. It must be loosened every 15 minutes. Time is written on forehead. GAS MASK DRILL is part of the training of the WADC. A member is pictured testing her mask. She places her palm over the intake and sucks in. If the mask is leakproof, the cheek pieces collapse inward. She wears her blindfold over the mask. THE WADC was organized in 1940 ivith 200 members. Today-i- t numbers 35,000 in 130 units throughout the United States. 1 VICTIM of gas attack is covered ivith a blanket before the ivorkers place him on a stretcher. Res-cuers do this to avoid contact ivith gas. The ambulance used by this WADC group is fully equipped for all emergencies and can ac-commodate two stretch-er cases and two aides. H) ON THE (HOME FRONPSI I Iboardsw. 7 Iftlmili boards! JiS'N? r -- Ik " THICK H I WA , C under the glass of the table ten or bright flower prints or a would give,a ir good effect. NOTE Mrs. Spears has' sheet-- 17 by 22 inches-giv- ing S,1 dimensions and detailed directions (or ting and assembling this table-ot exact amounts oi material needed t inexperienced person can follow theT rections with the assurance of periect suits. Send 15 cents for Pattern No. 254 MRS. RUTH WYETH SPEARS Bedford Hills Drawer 10 Enclose 15 cents for Pattern No.25( Name Address ALL started with a bright idea ITfor making a painted coffee ta-ble out of odds and ends of lum-ber. The sketch gives dimensions and shows the simple construction used to make the frame reinforced by useful shelves at the ends. So far the table was substantial but crude and that is where the lady with the needle came in. The table was to be painted cream color and then waxed. She bought a yard of slightly darker tan sateen and appliqued a design of blue and red morning glories with green leaves on it. This was placed over the top of the table and tacked around the edge. A piece of glass was cut to fit and the finishing boards were then screwed around the sides. Any interesting fabric could be used NO ASPIRIN FASTI?. than genuine, pure St Joseph Aspirin. World's largest seller at lot. None safer, none surer. Demand St Joseph Aspm ' SNAPPY FACTS ABOUT JjN RUBBER In the 45 years between 18S9 and 1934, the output of ru-bber produced by the Far East plantations jumped from half a ton to 98 per cent of the world's supply 1934 shi-pments were 1,000,000 tons. The first official record, that for 1899, shows that four tons of rubber were produced from 4000 acres under cultivation. The greatest enemies to the long life of natural rubber are sunlight, heat, oils, greases and solvents. The rays of the sun pe-netrate the surface of rubber, caus-ing It to oxidize; heat causes dete-rioration, and oils develop swelling and softening, making the rubber more susceptible to damage. BEGoodriui Do you know the new regulations on packages sent to men in the service? Here they are: You can send packages to soldiers any- where in the U. S., although there are now Post Office restrictions on packages to overseas Army men fn theUNan Coast Packages Guard t0 men Marines, wherever they are jd when you send that packagem home, remember-t- he the service always appreciate cigarettes And the fa'vorTte men m the with Army r Guard and MarT' Came EnhaCtUal Sales "certs sHt0ff--yorlocca- TSr Attention KHJflKJTESQGS tomr DeedS CVery deer hide he CaQ gloves for our soldiers. Unde Sam also asks us to save all the deer fats oTder UrgeDtly needed this time in rclredaT Ae glyceriQe ents for the explosives. JnLZ" y"rpaH savi"S both and Zfll a ' 0Ur" branch u,here you rece,ve highest market rices I I j iwSSSS? A,N'MAL CO. L . SPAHISHrORK . GARLAND . lEBtHIItJ Hardest Wood Used for Shaft Bearings in Ships Many of the ships being built today use wood as material for stern shaft bearings the hardest wood in the world usually called lignum-vita- e. According to the dictionary, lignum-vita- e is alo known as the zygophyllaceous genus guaiacum but this term obviously isn't often used around shipyards. The wood, in addition to being very hard, is also very heavy-- it is so heavy that it will not float in water so hard that shaping it is a most difficult procedure yet each block is worked to a .004 inch exactness. In a six-fo- stern shaft bearing, there are 128 separate blocks. Channels between the blocks permit the circulation of salt water, the only lubricatim necessary. ' Dat's fo' Shure Rastus Say, boy, can you tell me de time it is? Sambo I don' know zactly, but it ain't fo' 'clock yet cause I got to be at work by fo' and I ain't dere yet. Toot! Toot! Cowboy What kind of a saddle do you want one with or without a horn? Dude Without a horn, I guess. There doesn't seem to be much traffic on these prairies. Doing Her Bit Rooster What the dickens are you doing in the cellar? Hen I'm laying in a supply of coal. Flies and More Flies Brown Did you fish with flies? Gray (back from camp) Fish with them? We fished with them, camped with them, ate with them, slept with them! Said the Village Gossip You can't believe all you hear, but you can repeat it. He Got It "Jane, did I hear you kiss some-one in the kitchen?" "Sure, madam; the junk man said he came for a little oven." It Worked Housewife to tramp You seem to be an man. You ought to be strong enough to work. Tramp know, mum, and you seem to be beautiful enough to go on the stage but evidently you prefer the sim-ple life. "Step into the kitchen and HI see if I can stir up a meal for you." Can't Trust 'Em Jane Why so downcast, honev-child- ? Janette-- My soldier love has not been true to me. He promised that he would not even look at any of those foreign girls, but I see by this morning's paper he's been decorated for gallantry Marriageable Daughter A plate placed over the door of a house in Egypt is a sign that the family living there have a daughter of marriage age. Plowing Is Useful in Keeping Up Fertility of Old Forest Lands In expanding upon the statement ed to the low rate and low quantity , ceive every possible help to above concerning soil differences in forest and field, Dr. Albrecht has this to say about soil conditions in the forested Atlantic seacoast: "When the forest soils which the ' Puritans found were cleared of their trees and cultivated, they were soon abandoned as agricultural land by the pioneers who were willing to face the hazardous movement west-ward in search of fertile land. These facts have not commonly been relat- - nutrient delivery by those soils of the lime, the phosphorus, the nitro-gen and other chemical elements needed to make nourishing vegeta-tion for the building of healthy ani-mal and human bodies. "Soils which had come down to the low fertility delivery represented by the forest level of vegetation before man plowed them, offer so little for animal g that the plow must stir them and they must re encour-age rapid release of the essential mineral nutrients from the meager stock of organic matter within them. Such soils will produce a woody vegetation whether tree or farm crop unless they are plowed and stirred to increase the rate of decom-position within the soil of residues of plant generations gone before, or are treated by fertility boosters in the form of chemical fertilizers and other manures." DEEP PLOWING UNNECESSARY ON PLAINS more nutritional minerals. "These mineral supplies produce not only protein-ric- h forages in leg- umes like alfalfa, but also protein-ric- h grain in like wheat. Such soils have lime and other min-erals nearer their surface where plants can get them to make vege- tation rich in calcium, nitrogen fixa-tion, protein production and other mineral contributions. Crops from these soils support animals more ef-fectively than do planis mn .v fuel value grown veloped forc-- i In contrast to soil conditions in the regions where the land has been cleared of forests are the conditions on the prairies of the Middle West and the Great Plains where deep plowing isn't so necessary. Concern-ing this Dr. Albrecht says: "On the prairies where lesser rain-falls have not developed the soil into what is old age so far as leaching and nutrient losses are concerned, the vegetation is richer in protein. It Is also more concentrated in min erals that contribute to g in animal bodies. The soil it-self and not the plowing of it de-termines these conditions. "In going from more rainfall to less rainfall, or from eastern to west-ern Kansas, for example, the pro-tein concentration in the wheat goes up. We call it "hard wheat' because, as we commonly say, it grows in regions of lower rainfall. More properly it is "hard wheat' because it is grown on those soils that have |