Sir Albert Howard on artificial manures 30 May 2012 In this
article Charles Dowding examines Albert Howard's 1940 book An
Agricultural Testament, which was the first articulation in
print of the urgent need for a healthy soil. When it is borne in
mind that our greatest possession is a healthy, virile
population,the cheapness of artificial manures disappears
altogether. p38 Howard’s 1940 book An Agricultural Testament was
written for a general public who were showing interest in the
major changes happening around them in farming; it pre-dated the
Soil Association or any body representing an alternative
viewpoint, but it is still a brilliant reminder of our essential
starting point, a healthy soil. Howard (1873-1947) had worked
through a period when machines replaced animals, monoculture
replaced crop rotation, artificial fertiliser replaced animal
manures and chemical remedies multiplied to cope with the
results of these changes. He was painfully aware of many
powerful reasons for changes, usually linked to ec