Excerpt from Text-Book of Land Drainage
The low yields of farm crops in this country are frequently used as a basis for speculation as to the future limit of food supply. The causes for these low yields are variously estimated. Bad management, over-cropping, loss of soil fertility, washing away of soils, "changing climatic conditions," and even "over-drainage" are among the more prominent of the causes named. "Bad management" is a very comprehensive term. "Loss of soil fertility" is a much used expression, but indifferently understood. Sometimes it is properly applied, but in many cases it probably does not apply except in so far as it may be synonymous with malnutrition of the crop.
The improper functioning of common soils, because of the extended presence, at some time during each year, of excessive amounts of water, is seldom mentioned; and yet one needs but to travel through the land with an observant eye in the cropping season to discover areas (even in the so-called "garden spots") where half stands exist, fourth stands, and actually no stands for a half field or whole field, indicating failure in germination or very soon thereafter. He discovers sickly full stands, half stands and less; also drowned areas, and places where no crops have been planted -"skipped areas" - in fields that in other parts have a thrifty appearance of crops.
It is difficult, indeed, to estimate the losses resulting from such conditions.
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