Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-05-16
REMOVAL.
The Office Of the "DaiIy Evening STAR has
been removed to D street, south side, two doors
west Of 18th street
H MDVAL.
AGRICULTURE.

Agriculture There are thousands of acres
of good land lying contiguous to Wash
ington that might be improved to advan-
tage, now neglected and rapidly running
to waste. These lands, if properly cult
waited, would add materially to the popu
lation and prosperity of our city. They
would help to decrease the high prices of
provisions, put more active capital in
circulation, increase the number of our
rentable buildings, and thereby render
essential service to the Ajax of society
the laboring man.
The great danger of this country at the
present moment is two-fold-
A neglect Of Agriculture:
An excess Of ImportatiOns.
But there is much hope in the import
ant fact that the general cultivation of
the one is q radical prevention of the
other.
Meanwhile there are several things to
be considered in this great national mat
ter which ought to awaken our pride as
American citizens.
1t is a startling consideration to every
true patriot that the lands of the older
portions Of our country are becoming &C.
hausted What a fact to publish to the
world, of such new country as this !.
Yet it is nevertheless true. There are
fields within few miles of this capital
city of this greatest Republic on earth,
which few years since produced thirty
or more bushels of wheat to the acre that
now produce wheat no longer. There
are .proprietors of good land all around
the sacred shades of Mount Vernon, with
in sight of the hallowed groves that cast
their silent shadows on the tomb Of WASH.
INGroN, who are in the constant practice
of buying instead of raising their own
corn. Tell it not to furnishing Ireland
Publish it not among the lazzaroni of
Italy ..-...
Mountains, plains, and vallies few
years since vocal with the music of
cattle, and dotted with white foc}Ss of
sheep, are now given. up to the wildness
of nature. At the best, they furnish but
a 1.-THE Of what they once, did: while the
plough forsakes their weedy soil, and the
maize mods no more in all their borders.
: What is the cause of all this! Why
could not Virginia and Maryland become
like garden spots to America! Why
might not their rivers be freighted with the
produce of their lovely fields? Why is it
that the quantity of the products Of our
lands is constantly decreasing? It is
act, that lands which ten years ago pro-
duced thirty bushels of wheat to the acre.
now produce but fifteen! And this is
true, not of few acres, not of an isolated
strip of land here and there, but Of the
average OF Virginia and Maryland.
From an actual estimate now before US.
it appears that certain piece Of land
which was formerly pronounced a fine
one for the growth Of wheat, has now de-
Perforated until it produces only seren and
half bushels to the acre. This aston
ishing and disgraceful dininution is
rapidly extending itself to whole States
of the Union! ...
We repeat the question-HHot IS tn e
cause of all h's2 Is it the fault Of the
land or the fault of the people7 or both?
Is it not owing to this: an exhaustion of
the soil ,rtthout replenishing it, Do we
not take from the earth more than we
give back And are we not now reaping
the bitter fruits of this violation of laws Of
nature? If we take out Of the soil the
cause of its fertility, how can we expect it
to continue fertile
The farmers must carefully study the
nature and character of their lands.
They u,I,st adant their r.,,,,perat ion to the