Show j USE NEW METHODS TO STUDY SOIL Interesting Tests Now in Progress Progress Progress Pro Pro- gress at B. B Y U. U of Provo TO DETERMINE FERTILITY II I I Art re re l Expected XI ct to 10 Prove of Croat ICI Value all lu 10 o of or it State Stale Provo April 8 Tile The The students of or th the agricultural chemistry at th the Young Toung university are aro engaged In inal mal Ing ng a n series of tests tet to determine th the fertility of or the soils of or Utah and other western states Ju Just Jim t as Bi a n chain Is 18 measured by its li weakest t link so 80 the fertl fertility of or a joli oli IK is determined by hy Us its Is weakest con tUt n Ii necessary to plant jdant growth IIo If It I I I weak point can be found anti and IH 1 strong the fertility of or the entire toIl soil ol will wi be bp Increased ct The farmers of the United States Stales U ue about worth of In a 0 year so It t is important that thc they do not work blindly In tl the matlI matter For Instance If It a certain soil ol t. t ti to be le rich In and potash but deficient In nitric acid It I would be bc bea a waste vaste to tn a add l more phosphoric or potash Tho rho thing thinG Ih the tho farmer should houll know is what Is the w weakest I cst part of his soil soi so h he can at at onro strengthen the weak link It I is with this In fn view that thc these experiments ex ox- In tho Brigham Youn Young university university uni uni- are heln being made mate What I IH hi J known as the wire basket Is h employed c In Iii the tests lesl it I is a 0 new method this being beng th th tho lust fust time cittie it I has ha been heen tried by an any Institution In iii th the tho sin stale slate t e. e Method r I of l It I Is 19 carried on the ln following manner man iian- ner ar 11 About bout illO pounds s of a 1 roll rell fJ Is ia obtained to together with wih a as much Information regarding it i as ns it I I is possible pos pas sible to get gel This Tills soil which ha has been thoroughly dried an and mixed before beIng beIng being be be- ing shipped to 10 the school is l t l i li ii I to the laboratory where here a portion of or it i is carefully ll to remove refO e all aih al clods racks anti and ml sticks An or 00 oo o grams each of the tl dr dry soil Moi arc then hen weighed and tal taken cl in tri series s of live five each This number of samples makes an effective check not nol Ni- Ni it i- i The rue h first series selles Is 19 treated t late ate of soda Foda in iii the thc proportion of 20 Un poun pounds s pet per pel acre Is added to tho the second sulphate of oC potash to the third sc- sc I- I m Ih-m acid phosphate to the h. h while the fifth series receives lime In Inthe he tho proportion of or 1000 pounds PC per pei ere cre In a f similar manner f for for- I In various combine 1 Ions ons ma may maj lie fee e tried the t r ii l' l the Boll mi Hol-mi n id thoroughly nixed with wih it It lh the rl right hl quantity of vater water is a added led and the soil soH Is r ad C o bo be put In the basket baliet which ha has 1 on b.-on prepared The he baskets are tire made male of or 1 Mt inch mesh gal galvanized c Iron wll wire and are arc about three Inches in 01 three Inches deep dep rhese are held upside down own and auth dipped lipped in so o that the thc top inch of the haIet has bas hot et Iet Is thoroughly coated The Th soil oi 1 t i POW lOW put In the basket let and pre pressed sd down so 60 that thal some of or it I is forced out Gut through the meshes This Is well velh brushed on of or from th the outside and an nut Into Inlo the thc basket again The basket tho the soil Is then containing soi dipper in melted meled paraffin and completely staled scaled up UI Ul except on top i the lie tie Crops Crop I When the soil soi pots have been heen thus prepared they are arc read ready for the crop The he crop Is not planted in th the pot pol but butI butin butis I in is germinated between layers of or cloth Wheat heat Is commonly us us d c in all 01 of the le tests test ls From among a lur largo large number of or germinated seedlings six lx h specimens for fur each pot are land and ani planted in a row through the til center cen ter tel of the pot This thirty uniform S se selected so- so l plants are ale grown crown under each cach fertilizer treatment After ACter planting the seedlings the surface of the S soil is covered ered cc with wih a thin layer of washed wash d quartz Juarz sand to prevent an any cracking 01 ot tho lie surface I When the seedlings become thoroughly thoroughly thor thor- rooted each ach pot Is K sealed aled This Is done by the use of or a I circular disc dis of t paper pr I which has hos a narrow slit silt cut alon aIon its diameter through which the sl s1 sis spelling ling hing plants are ae grown Each ut Inow l I Is Isnow now carefully weighed and the w weight eight el ht ii is recorded The plants arc are allowed allow allow- ed to grow in the various pots for about three weeks week Each Is weighed once In two days and the water that has ha been lost by transpiration Ij i. l. l re rt ro- placed Each plant having received the name came amount of or sunlight heat end nf moisture the Iho difference In growth must be be attributed solely to th the u use e of ol ot th the various fertilizing materials The he growth of each coch series is determined accurately accurately ac ac- ac- ac b by weighing the crop czop on th th completion of ot the exp experiment which takes taken about three weeks Wellis This method being very vcr simple and effective bids bid fair fah to be of or much alue to the individual farmer Carmer In aiding binto him bin to determine the fertilizers that can cnn be most economically and ct ij applied to his particular soil FRANK HARRIS HAnnIS |