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Show Healthy Plants Needed To Assure Good Crop Sturdy Growth Hinges On Well-FertiSized Soil Healthy plants, like healthy hu mans, are better fitted to fight o insect and disease attacks than art undernourished ones. Enemies hav a tougher time getting under th guard of well fed plants. Such plant; have stronger root systems ant hardier, better developed growtl above ground. They can stand or their "feet" and defend themselves Whether your crops are well fed oi undernourished depends on the con dition of your soil. If your soil i; loose, mellow, high in organic mat ter, of good tilth and carries plentj of plant food, it can give your crop; a body-building diet. If your soil is worn down by overcropping and failure to put back plant nutrients and organic matter, it cannot support sup-port healthy, sturdy crop growth. Any farmer can build his soil's fertility and crop producing ability by good management methods. He can get bigger crop yields per acre through use of fertilizer carrying nitrogen, phosphate and potash as needed. He can build soil structure by growing deep-rooted legumes such as alfalfa -or sweet clover ii the rotation. Roots of the legumes will open tight soil and let air and water in. Plowed under, the legumes will add to the soil's organic matter mat-ter supply. Crops following in the rotation will have more "elbow room" to seek water and nutrients deep down in the soil. The organic matter supply can be further increased in-creased by returning manure and crop aftermath to the soil. |