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Show Immense Task of Soil Rebuilding Faces Managers of Nations Six Million Farms Gems of Thought YOU can not take out of your life what you have not put into it, any more than you can draw out of a bank what you O. S. have not deposited. Marden. Praise is sunshine; it warms, it inspires, it promotes growth. Mrs. Stowe. Ss Land Being Mined by Excessive Cropping Will Need Fertilizer American farmers face the most gigantic soil rebuilding job in all history when World War II is fought to a successful conclusion. sential elements, nitrogen, phos- Harvested crops rank next in dephorus and potassium, in various pleting the soil and are in normal compounds, have been drawn out years responsible for taking out an of the soil by the that grew additional 4,600,000 tons of nitrogen, on it. The biggerplants and better the 700,000 tons of phosphorus and 3,200,-00- 0 crop, the more vital minerals extons of potash. tracted. Ordinarily, much of these a third of the fertile topNearly elements is replaced by rotation, soil of American farms has been fallowing, or application of fertiliz- lost due to erosion, floods and the ers, but during these war years effects of overcropping, when every field mst be made to damaging to a statement issued by according yield to the limit, there is an an- the Middle West Soil Improvement nual loss. Also, the scarcity of fer- Committee. tilizers, and shortage of help and Six Inches of Topsoil. That is the considered opinion of farm economists, soil conser- machinery have conspired to imvation experts and leading poverish the farmers land. There is still another important .agronomists of state agricultural colleges throughout the coun- factor in this present soil-exhau- st try. What this job will cost, no one knows yet, but it will be considerably above the 250 to 300 million dollar expenditure farmers have making for fertilizer in recent years. Virtually all of the nations 6,000,000 farms will need serious atbeen Released by Western Newspaper Union. TpHE interest shown by the armed services in almost every branch of sport is good evidence that Sergt. Joe Louis exhibition tour to thea-;eof operation will prove to be one of the most popular shows yet staged by the armys special services division. Sergeant Louis, king of the heavyA century and a half ago, says weights, boxed before at least 1,000,-M)- 0 soldiers during his recent the statement, there was an aver20,000-mil- e tour of more than of of nine inches age topsoil spread over the entire United States. To 100 army posts. He was accom-lanie- d by his uniformed coterie of ive boxers and a trainer. In addition to Joe, the group included Corp. Walker Smith, better mown as Sugar Ray Robinson, welterweight, to boxing fans; Private George (Jackie) Wilson, rs major reasons are cited by soil experts for this situation: Wartime crop goals necessary to produce foodstuffs, meat, dairy products, oil and fiber crops for victory, are eating up the soils resources of nitrogen, Our war debt wont be only a matter of taxes and maturing bonds. Our farmers are asked to mine their soils because fertilizer materials are scarce. But crops must be made on the fat of the soils. This means that a farmer of the future will have the handicap of a more exhausted soil and smaller crop yields to pay the taxes that will follow this war. Tremendous Drain. Just how big a drain on the soils fertility resources does this extra crop production impose? The answer is plenty! Take one for example. corn single crop that the 1941 estimate Agronomists corn crop in ten midwestern states removed 2,645,404,730 pounds of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash from the soil. Increasing wartime yields boosted this tax to 3,093,123,334 pounds in 1942 and 3,227,393,770 pounds in 1943. Large as this removal was, it represents but a portion of the fertility loss from a single region. Add to it the fertility drain caused by producing huge yields of wheat, soybeans, potatoes, alfalfa, clover, oats and other crops and you have some idea of the depreciation of fertility resources. But that doesnt tell the whole story, either, for the job of producing livestock and dairy products requires heavy amounts of plant poultice-and-vap- invite restful Try itl sleep. or V VapoRub Sanctified by Affliction Under affliction we should seek not merely to be supported, but to be sanctified by it. O. S. Marden. Big-sca- le said: coughing at night caused by throat tickle or ir- breathing and e coming more menacingly serious. Wasteful farming practices over a century and a half have squandered precious topsoil to a dangerous degree. Farmers recognize that the present wartime drain on their soils fertility level is a necessary contribution to victory. But they should bear in mind the imperative fact that wealth borrowed from the soil to help win this war, must be repaid later on. Dr. George D. Scarseth, head of the agronomy department of Purdue university, summed things up when he said: Farmers in the Middle West and elsewhere throughout the nation are making a sacrifice in the war production program to an extent not fully realized by the world. Soils that have had to produce war crops by fertility exhaustion practices will not have dividends to pay after the war, but will require their own kind of taxation in the form of fertilizers. In reality, farmers are in the manufacturing business, the same as munitions makers, or steel producers. They are turning out essential products for our armed forces. foods, They are manufacturing feeds, fibers and oils out of the raw materials of the soil the nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and lime. Fortunately all our soils are not exhausted of their inherited riches. But exhaustion is on the way even with our best soils, and we face a future where these raw materials must be added to the soils as fertilizers in greater amounts than in the past. Unless we do this, the productivity of the soil will sink to a dangerous level. Concerning the future outlook, he mm YOUR CHILDS action loosens phlegm, relieves irritation, helps clear upper air passages, thus tends to stop mouth and potash much job of soil conservation must be stepped up. operations can be postponed no longer. The fifth column attacks of erosion are belong-rang- -E- LIZABETH YORK CASE. Adventure is not outside a man; it is within. David Grayson. VAPORUB'S faster than they can be replaced today. Steps to correct this must be taken immediately the war crisis is over. 2 The clod. He trusts in God. ritation, mouth breathing, due to a cold can often be prevented by rubbing throat ana chest with Vicks VapoRub at bedtime. Two phosphorus sod And waits to see it push away the five-mon-th, tention. 1 There is no unbelief; Whoever plants a seed beneath the An aerial view of a large Georgia farm on which several soil conservation methods are used. In the upper part of the picture appears a large meadow strip, which serves as a safe water disposal area for surface runoff from adjoining fields. The curved bands are contour strip cropping, and terracing. The owner, Dr. A. C. Brown of Royston, also follows improved rotation practices. That is the matter of increased acreage. In order to produce the extra crop quotas, not only do existing acres have to do a bigger crop yielding job but more and more acres have to be tilled. Much of this land represents a lower strata of fertility level and hence it is not able to bear the burden of heavy cropping effectively. A glance at acreage figures tells the story. In 1941 the total harvested acreage of principal crops in the United States was 334,130,600. In 1942 it rose to 338,081,000 and in 1943 to 347,498,000 acres. New production goals for 1944 propose the use of some 380 million acres. of Land Ruined. e When we turn to the job of soil conservation that has been accumulating since the pioneer settlers plows first broke Americas virgin farm land, we find an even more serious situation. Hugh H. Bennett, chief of the U. S. soil conservation service, is authority for the statement that 50 million acres of the nations 600 million tillable acres have been completely ruined for agricultural purposes. An additional 50 million acres, he estimates, are seriously damaged and a very large further acreage has suffered a marked decrease in soil fertility. As a result of the soil conservation services work and the efforts of agronomists at state agricultural colleges and experiment stations, significant steps have been taken in recent years in combating this menacing trend. But the major task lies ahead. Six principal factors are responsible for the foregoing losses, according to Mr. Bennett. They are erosion, leaching, the removal of fertilizer elements by harvested crops, livestock and livestock marketing, oxidation of soil organic matter, and ing problem. One-Twelf- th long-rang- fire. Erosion is the worst offender, renimoving annually 2,500,000 tons of of phosphorus trogen, 900,000 tons and 15,000,000 tons of potash the three major plant foods which make the productions of crops possible. Hilly land often considered prac-to tically worthless can be made yield good returns by proper strip food, too. Danville, The plain fact is that every time a cropping. C. D. Blubaugh, harvest the shown weighing is crop is harvested and hauled to mar- Ohio, of the one is He field. a ket, or livestock are shipped to & from such included now farmers million packers yards, some of the farms three soil conservation projects. fertility goes with them. Those es in 693 day this averages only six inches in depth. The present war emergency, as well as the future of American agriculture itself calls for a determined fight against the forces of soil depletion. The effectiveness of the individual farmers soil management plan in wartime as well as in the peace era to follow, can be aided by the cooperation of agronomists at state agricultural colleges and experiment stations. Through research and experimentation over a long span of years, these experts have developed information concerning fertilizer needs for various crops and soils that is helpful to the farmer who is striving to rebuild his soils productivity. In combating the destructive effects of erosion, individual farmers and organized agriculture are confronted by a stealthy, enemy. Erosions damage is gradual and in the first stages, barely noticeable. But once it gains headway, winds and rains not only carry away valuable topsoil, but also remove needed fertilizing elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. Conservation methods are the surest means of reducing these losses of valuable topsoil and plant nutrients. It has been found that soils having a cover crop suffer only a fraction of the losses from erosion that other farm areas experience. Not only will grasses and legumes provide effective vegetative cover for holding topsoil in place and furnish a balanced ration for farm animals, but they promote nitrogen fixation, improve the soil tilth and help increase crop yields following in the rotation. This is particularly true where adequate fertilization is undertaken. Bonds Will Provide Funds. Fortunately the means for accomplishing this soil replenishment job are in the hands of virtually every American farmer. Dollars invested in war bonds now that farm cash income is at the highest level in history and farm debt at the lowest point in many years, can provide the ready cash to pay for the purchase of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash needed to restore the fertility level of farms later on. It is not too early to begin planning for this agricultural reconstruction job, any more than it is premature at present to lay plans for future political and economic peace, a statement by the Middle West Soil Improvement Committee concludes. For it is becoming increasingly clear that the whole structure of future security will rest on the productivity of the soil. While every encouragement will be given to soil rebuilding projects by the federal government and by state agricultural agencies, the major responsibility for getting the job done will rest on the shoulders of individual farmers. By earmarking part of present war bond purchases now for peacetime soil rebuilding expenditures, farmers can be ready when the materials and manpower become readily available in the postwar era. fifth-colu- NO ASPIRIN SERGEANT LOUIS can do more for you, so why pay more? World&largestselleratlty 36 tablets 20, 100 for only 35 Get St Joseph Aspirin. First Sergt. George Nicholson, Corp. Robert Smith, Sergt. James Edgar One Beginner and Corp. Robert J. Payne, trainer. The works of the world alIt wasnt an easy tour for the ways great with one person. Edbegin boys. They started in August at ward W. Bok. Fort Meade, Md., on a series of one and two night stands. They swung through New England, reversed across the their trail, northern half of the country, moved down through California and returned eastward. SNAPPY FACTS zig-zagg- ed Grueling Grind During the trip they played to thousands of soldiers daily in every army service command, visiting wounded in hospitals, special training units and soldier prisoners in stockades. They staged impromptu boxing shows and made as many as 6ix personal appearances in one day. There was the usual amount of griping concerning the Louis expedition within this country. But it wasnt serious. The routine was for Joe to box two or three rounds with Sergeant Nicholson, who happened to be Joes favorite sparring partner in prewar days, or with Corporal Smith, the other heavyweight. Smith and Sergeant Edgar boxed for three rounds and Private Wilson usually sparred with a soldier volunteer. At least one factor kept the tour y from becoming the usual vaudeville act. Joe often was challenged by an ambitious soldier stationed at some particular camp. The Brown Bomber was always agreeable. He took on the hopefuls and never tried to make a match appear onesided. He never carried his opponent, although naturally enough he held back on the lethal wallops which brought him a world title. two-a-da- 1912 tropical Americas produced their greatest output of rubber 62,000 tens. It is expected that we will have imported 41,000 tens from these countries in 1943, an Important supplement to our synthetic supplies. In Some experts estimate that there are around 300 million Hevea (rub- ber) trees In Latin America. Most of them are in junglct,difficult to get at. ' and driving don't mix" may still be a worthy admonition, but nevertheless, millions of gallons of alcohol ara needed as a raw material to make synthetic rubber for the production of tires now so essential to driving. "Alcohol More About Rule Changes Lou Boudreau, major league base- balls youngest manager, has placed himself in the ranks of those experts who believe a few rule changes would prove a boon to basketball. Although baseball has brought him his greatest fame, the Cleveland piMFMPATFf) Soothe itch of ample rMhe8 b Bprinkling on lot speaks with authority concerning FOR POWDER Mexsana, the soothing, If court the your memory game. powder. Re- isnt too fleeting, youll hark back to FAMILY USE medicated lieves diaper rash. the time when Lou, now an assistant coach at Illinois, scored 157 points Fish Peddlers on Horses for Illinois in the 1936-3- 7 season and helped pace the team to a Big Ten In Chile fish sellers carry their championship. wares on horseback. Lou added his bit to the increasing criticism of basketball rules by advocating the return of the center jump. He told the Chicago Basketball Writers association that basfrom common colds ketball rulemakers should make the rules coincide with the increasing speed of the game. When I was playing basketball, Creomulsion relieves promptly beif a team took between 40 and 50 cause It goes right to the seat of the to help loosen and expel shots a game, it was considered troubleladen germ phlegm, and aid nature Now teams Boudreau. good, said to and heal raw, tender, insoothe take between 70 and 80 shots. The flamed bronchial mucous memyon game is so fast that it makes it branes. Tell your druggist to sell unwith the tough on players, coaches and of- a bottle of Creomulsion derstanding you must like the way it ficials alike. They dont have time quickly allays the cough or you are and collect wits to gather their to have your money back. themselves as they did in the days when the ball was being brought to for Couchs, Chest Colds, Bronchitis the center for a jump. - Beware Coughs at Hang On CREOMULSION |