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Show County Agent's Column FERTILE SOILS PAY Few farmers seems to realize their soil is their wealth. There is no limit to the amount a farmer can lose if he neglects his soil. Efficient Ef-ficient crop production means balancing bal-ancing the supply of the available plant nutrients. Wo have been farming in parts of Millard county for more than 80 years. Cron yields on the older farms are not much more than one-half of what jlhey were 40 years neo. It is a shameful thing to say "Not one-half of the manure produced i:t the corrals of this county, ever is placed out on the land to build up fertility." There is no excuse for this that is justifiable. Excuses are made, hut the excuses are made by those who are satisfied with the production they obtain for themselves, them-selves, but who are not thinking of their children and their children's child-ren's children. Poor soil means poor people. This is true from both a financial and a health point of view. Dr. Parran, U. S. surgeon general says that 40 of the population of this , country suffers from malnutrition. We have more food than any other nation in the world. The majority of our people get enough to eat. Why we have malnutrtion must be due to the fact that the foods we eat do not have the right minerals or in the right amounts and they must not be high in vitamins, which is important in keeping our people healthy. FOOD IS NO RICHER IN MINERALS MINER-ALS THAN THE SOIL FROM WHICH IT COMES. You can not have healthy and nutritious plants coming from depleted soils. Plants suffering by mineral deficienciees will not nourish healthy animals. Mineral deficient plants and undernourished under-nourished animals will not support the health of our people. Poor soils will perpetuate poor people physically, phys-ically, mentally and financially. To illustrate this point, I need but call your attention to the fact that in some of the southern states . the boys turned down for the service ser-vice were seven out of ten; while in. Colorado, where the soils are good, seven out of ten boys were taken into the service. It is known that cows fed a good grade of alfalfa, cut at the proper time, will produce milk five times as rich in vitamin A as cows fed later cut poor quality hay. Certain vegetables, such as lettuce and cabbage can have their calcium content increased many, times by changing the calcium content of the soil. Isn't it time that the farmers of this county wake up and see that all the manure produced in the corrals of the county is properly applied to the land? Each year I hear reports from farmers who say they have a hard time to get a new stand of alfalfa. Which will make the most profit, a 50 bushel crop of wheat of a 33 bushel? A five ton crop of alfalfa or a two ton crop? We have a number of farmers getting high yields, but the average is the lower, of the figures quoted above. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO GROW THIS YEAR? Every farmer in Millard county can give some thought to the crops and the livestock he is going to produce during 1946. Each farmer will know his own land and should know what cops he can produce best. It may be interesting however, for him to give a little thought to the total production he can expect from his farm. Should you grow barley or wheat? Last year, the barley crop of this county was worth about ten dollars an acre more than the wheat crop. Another important question is, should you grow hay or cut for seed? Taking the average aver-age of our county, the alfalfa hay crop produced approximately ten dollars more than the average cut for seed. How about corn for silage? Corn silage on the average yield in the county, based on census figures, was worth almost twice as much as either hay or grain. In those communities that can grow fruit, some thought should be given to the possibility of increasing their tree planting. There is a good market mar-ket for fruit in this county and fruit trees w'ill make more money per acre on an average, than any 10 acres of other crops, excepting corn silage. Give some thought to the crops you are going to grow and to the livestock you are going to have on the farm. Are you sure that beef cattle will make you more than dairy cows? If you have a small set-up, will poultry make you as much or more than other livestock? RESORTS PREPARE FOR '4S Northern Utah's leading summer resorts, Saltair, Lagoon and Brighton, Brigh-ton, are looking forward to reopening reop-ening this summer after an enforcer! enforc-er! wartime closing. Considerable money will be spent on Saltair in the shores of Great Salt Lake in anticipation of a big summer season, anrl renovation renova-tion on a large scale is planned. Lagoon, long a summer rcmlevous r for children and adults will also come in for some changes anrl improvements im-provements in prep,-iral ion for record re-cord crowds expected in 1946. Brighton, 30 miles e;iil of Salt Lake- City, famous combination winter and summer resort area is also being prepared for a large in- ' flux Of pleasure seekers. The store and posl office will he operated by Juol Bosen who reports ihat many new cabins vill b built. Brighton if) a favorile with Salt Lakers. It is a timbered coonlry at tiie.h alli-tud", alli-tud", has three beautiful lakes, anrl lacks only a big modern hoe to make the area complete. |