Show PROBLEMS FOR DRY FARMERS knowledge of effects of nitrogen and humus content of soil Is of vital importance 1 AM BY DR ROBERT ROBEnT STEWART A knowledge of the effect of dry I 1 land farming upon the nitrogen and z ji humus cont content ent of the soil is necessary before a permanent system of dry land farming can be established 1 almost coincident with the develop ment of scientific dry land farmei farming the deter mental effects of such a system on the nitrogen and humus con tent of the cultivated soil suggested itself to the careful student of the subject the history of scientific agriculture 4 taught that the cropping of land to the same crop caused a decrease in the nitrogen and humus content of the cultivated soil it als also 0 A taught that summer fallowing following was even more destructive to those important constituents than was continuous bous cropping itself the importance of nitrogen in crop production and the preponderance of evidence regarding the destruction of 0 organic matter and the res resulting alting loss of nitrogen by practicing a system of crop production involving the use of tho the summer fallow have caused thoughtful students of the subject to suggest means of returning the organic matter and the nitrogen to tho the soil for this purpose the growing ia of legumes during the season when A the land is not occupied by the chaat have been suggested but this practice defeats the purpose of the summer fallow inasmuch as the limited supply L of moisture is called upon to grow the le legume gurno in view of the known action of continuous cropping and summer fallow ing upon the nitrogen and humus of humid soils a knowledge of the effect of dry farming upon the nitrogen und and humus of dryland dry land solla soils became be camei cee great importance Import anc fi this idea in view the author it in n tho summer of 1907 had a survey madel made of the dry farming area in cache val ley the oldest dry farming district in the state of utah and the conclusions 1 reached were as follows 1 the cropping of dry farming lanil land in cache valley to wheat either by 1 to r the summer fallowing following method or by continuous cropping does not do de crease tho the nitrogen or humus of the s surface foot of soil 2 tho the second foot of grain cropped land contains less nitrogen and hu mus than does the second foot of tho the adjacent virgin soil 3 the observed phenomenon in case of tho the grain cropped land Is tf probably duo due to the addition of nitro gen to the sjur Bjur face foot from lower depth and the addition t f the humus 5 from the added straw 4 the work indicated that in a n study of the nitrogen and humus problem in dryland dry land farming attention must bo be paid to greater depth of soil than tho the traditional plowed surface |