The Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1850-1852, 1850-07-04

between animals and plants I. - I, he
6nc,l, by the fac, ,!rS ,lN iM,ef can or.
ganisc the -lcmea's of all vegetable and
animal substances into il,csc cosnPoand
bodies, whicl, the former cannot d.
All plants produce AND isrreVse organ.
iaed maiiar; all anirnals canssY,e and di.
miniA the quantity oforsaniscI food
CHAPTER II.
WHAT rHe COUNTRY MAS LOTT By
IMrovERisniNa irs soiLs.
Taking the census Of 1910 a. the
basis Vi the calculation. and adding
no more than the usual increase, and
the number now employed in agricul.
turc in the United States docs not
vary much from 100000. The
number Of acres which they cultivate
Is not known. In the State Of New
YORK thcrc are some l2.O00, 700
acres Of improved land. which in.
cludes all meadows and enclosed
pastures. This area employs about
500 900 laborcrs being all average
Of twenty four acres 10 the hand. -
At this ratio, the number Of acres Of
improved land in the United States
is 12O, 600, 900.
But New York is an old and more
dcnsely populated State than an aver
age in the Union and probably TWEEN.
ty.Gyc acres per hand is jastcr cs,i-
mate for the whole country. At
this rate the aggregate is one hun.
dred aud twenty-five millions. OF
these improved lands, it is cou6dcn.
tly believed that at least four ifths
are now suffering deterioration in a
greater or less degree. The fertility
Of some, particularly in tho plantin x
States, is passing rapidly away; in
others, the progress of exhaustion !,
so slow rs hardly to DC observed by
tho cul,iva,ors themselves. TO keep
within the truth, the annual income
from the soil may be said to be dim
inished ten cents an acre on one
hundred million acres, or on four
ffths Of the Whole.
This loss Of income is $4,000,
600, and equal to tho sinking Of a
ca, ital Of $l66, ,666, 600 a year, pay
ing six per cent. annua! interest
That improved farming lands may be
justly regarded as capital, and fail
investment when paying six per cent
interest, and perfectly safe, no ONT
will deny. This deterioration is no
unavoidable for thousands Of skilfu
flrmcrs have taken fields poor il
point Of natural productivcncss, ant
instead of diminishing their fertility
they have added ten cents an acre l.
their annual income, over and above
all expenses. II this wise and in
proving system rotation, tillage an
husbandry were universally adoptc
or applied to the one hundred milliol
acres now being exhausted, it woul
be equivalent to creating each yea
an additional capital of $lG6, ,666, 90
and placing it in the permanent rea
estate, where it would pay six Ic
cent annual interest. For all pfacti
cal purposes, the difference betwcc
the two systems is $333, ,333, 900
year to the country.
There il another view Of this in
portant subject, which is worthy G
profound consideration. OF the II
100000 acres Of improved land
the State Of New York, 100000
are so cultivated as to become riehs
from year to year. These imrroyin
soils are in the hands Of 10000 cul,
vators, who take aud read agr;cult'
raj journal, and nob!y sustain u
State and county societies o. thi
Commonw calth. 100000 Of Il
100000 are so managed as bar
ly to hold their own in point Of fcrt
ity. These lands belong to ella
Of farmers who do az wen as tie
know from personal observation, al
seeing how reading men improve the
estates and domestic ANIMALS. S,OUt
600 arc il ile hands 10000 re-
sons, who still adhere to the colo,i
practice Of extracting from the virg
soil all it will yield, 80 long as il V
pay expenses u crop i,,and then lea
il as a thin | DOR l,asture FIR term
years. Some Of tlese impovcrish'
farms, which scyen.y-hve years Al
produced from twenty to thirty bus
: els Of wheat. Oh an average, ~
, yield only from ase 10 e,yi,. bnslir
, la an exceedingly interesting wo
(; entitled 'Ame1ean husLaIdry, ~
e lisl,ed in London, III 1T15. aud NJ
! ten "An American" the follows
" remarks may be found on lrasc "
: volume /.
!. Wheat Ia many parts oi tho !.Ic
|. luce New York; yieIls iarc
| produce than is common ia En2iat
9 lyon good lands aboa. .Albany, whe
5 the climate Is coliesl 10 the eoui,i