FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Historical documents
 From "The Farm that Won't Wear Out" |
The list below offers historical documents that have contributed to a sustainable model of agriculture. Many of these materials provide valuable insights into what it was like to farm before the "modern" era.
Yet the advice should never be accepted unquestioningly. For example, some publications refer to the benefits of tilling practices such as deep plowing, which we have since learned contributes to soil compaction.
We are providing these documents both as an opportunity to learn more about agricultural history and also for their value as original sources. They offer insights into our understanding about soil tilth and fertility and organic practices, as well as the underlying philosophy of sustainable agriculture.
These documents were first placed online by Steve Solomon of the Soil and Health Library. Solomon is the author of Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times
Most of these materials are now available for sharing because their copyright protection has run out. The more recent articles are in the public domain because they were produced for government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Soil Conservation Service. Special thanks to Steve Solomon for aggregating and sharing them with us.
- The Farm that Won't Wear Out (Cyril G. Hopkins, 1913 - 40 pages) - This article discusses ways to improve soil fertility, with pictures showing the results of applying one of the "ten essential elements of plant food." The five listed as the most important - potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and nitrogen.
- From the article - "Thus the nitrogen of a soil is measured approximately by its content of organic matter; and, vice versa, the percentage of nitrogen is an approximate measure of the organic matter, because nitrogen is a regular constituent of the organic matter normally contained in soils. Consequently if the organic matter of a soil is reduced the supply of nitrogen is also reduced. . . more"
- Root Development of Vegetable Crops (John E Weaver and William E. Bruner, 1927 - 254 pages -NOTE: long download time) - This comprehensive book is filled with pictures that show stages of root development for various crops. A classic text, It also offers specific tips on growing each vegetable.
- From the book - "Sweet Potato - Soils and Fertilizers.--Since the sweet potato is a tender plant of tropical origin, it grows best in an easily warmed soil. For proper growth of the fleshy roots soil should not be plowed too deeply. In such an instance, there is a tendency for the roots to grow slender and too long. On very rich soil the crops produce too much vine growth and the "potatoes" are likely to be too large and rough . . . more "
- Sustainable Soil Management: Soil System Guide ( Preston Sullivan, Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas, July 1999 - 45 pages) -
The article includes information on the benefits of green manure.
- From the article - "If you look out at a landscape you might wonder how native prairies and forests function in the complete absence of tillage and fertilizers? These soils are tilled by soil organisms, not by machinery. They are fertilized too, but the fertility is used again and again and never leaves the site. Native soils are covered with a layer of plant litter and/or growing plants throughout the year. Beneath the surface litter layer, a rich complexity of soil organisms decompose plant residue and dead roots, then release their stored nutrients slowly over time . . . more"
- Early American Soil Conservationists (Angus MacDonald, U.S. Soil Conservation Service, 1941 - 68 pages) - This well-written article is not only a guide to the people who shaped the foundation for sustainable agriculture in the United States, but it also details the evolution of the philosophy.
- From the article - "Deane suggested a number of methods by which the farm manures might be best utilized. He endorsed Eliot's idea of mixing soil and manures, but carried this idea still further by suggesting that the soil and manure be mixed in a declivity so that the wash from the surrounding area might be utilized. In this compost heap, he put all the usual farm wastes including leaves, ashes, and trash of various kinds. In addition, he believed that the practice of folding, whereby cattle were penned nightly for the purpose of preserving their dung to enrich the soil, was a good one although seldom practiced. . . more"
- Dry Farming: A System of Agriculture for Countries Under of Low Rainfall (John A. Widtsoe, A.M., Ph.D, 1920 - 140 pages) - The author believes that farming practices often contribute to dry soils, and this book identifies practices that farmers can employ to retain essential soil moisture.
- From the book - "The fundamental problems of dry-farming are, then, the storage in the soil of a small annual rainfall; the retention in the soil of the moisture until it is needed by plants; the prevention of the direct evaporation of soil-moisture during; the growing season; the regulation of the amount of water drawn from the soil by plants; the choice of crops suitable for growth under arid conditions; the application of suitable crop treatments, and the disposal of dry-farm products, based upon the superior composition of plants grown with small amounts of water. . . more"
- Towards a Sustainable Agriculture: The Living Soil [Lady Eve Balfour, a speech at an International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) Conference in 1977 - 9 pages] -
The speech served as a landmark in outlining the rationale for the organic movement.
- From the speech - "Contrary to the views held by some, I am sure that the techniques of organic farming cannot be imprisoned in a rigid set of rules. They depend essentially on the outlook of the farmer. Without a positive and ecological approach it is not possible to farm organically. The approach of the modern conventional farmer is negative, narrow and fragmentary, and consequently produces imbalance. . . more"
- Green Manuring: Principles and Principles (Adrian J. Pieters, Ph.D., 1927 - 267 pages - NOTE: long download time) -The book explains the benefits of green manuring in great detail. It is especially useful for beginners, since it explains terms in great detail and depth.
- From the book - "It is well know that fertilizer applied, especially is used liberally, are not al utilized by the current crop; the following crop also receives some benefit. This residual effect is marked when stable manure is used and in England the value of such residual fertilizer has been estimated and an allowance is made therefore to the departing tenant. . . more"
- From the book - "It is well know that fertilizer applied, especially is used liberally, are not al utilized by the current crop; the following crop also receives some benefit. This residual effect is marked when stable manure is used and in England the value of such residual fertilizer has been estimated and an allowance is made therefore to the departing tenant. . . more"
- Loss of Organic Soil Matter and Its Restoration (William Albrecht, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1938 - 14 pages) -
An elegant writer, Albrecht, then a "professor of soils" at the University of MIssouri, does an exceptional job of explaining the origins of the rich resource of topsoil that the United States inherited. He discusses the dangerous trend toward losing organic soild matter, and what can be done to restore it.
- From the article - "The stock of organic matter in the virgin soils taken over by the homesteading pioneers was a heritage from an extensive past. Its accumulation in our northern soils began with the recession of the last glacier, possibly some 25,000 years ago, and continued long enough to ripen the residues into compounds that were ready to be used quickly by growing plants. . . more"
- The Soil Food Web (Elaine R. Ingram, U.S. Department of Agriculture, undated - contemporary - 37 pages) - This article explains with clarity and completeness the connections between soil and food. Ingham now consults around the world through Soil Foodweb, Inc.
- From the article - "An incredible diversity of organisms make up the soil food web. They range in size from the tiniest one-celled bacteria, algae, fungi, and protozoa, to the more complex nematodes and micro-arthropods, to the visible earthworms, insects, small vertebrates, and plants. As these organisms eat, grow, and move through the soil, they make it possible to have clean water, clean air, healthy plants, and moderated water flow. . . more"
- Soil Health Based on Organic Matter (Richard Strong, Voice of the Soil, undated - contemporary - pages 17) - Through his personal experiences in the Soil Conservation Service and in countries around the world, Strong explores various practices that impact soil health, with suggestions for improvement.
- From the article - " In 1993 I went to Peru to work on a salinity problem and began using a soil auger again. On returning from Peru I equipped a small soil laboratory and started a consulting company called The Voice of the Soil. When asked what the voice says, I reply, "The voice is that of millions of microorganisms and what they say is, 'If we don't eat, nobody eats' . . . more "