Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-01-13
From the New York Tribune.
Exclamation of the soil


gravest and most pressing importance. We are now
annually exporting and wasting the productive ca
paclty OF our SOIL and thus laying the foundation Of
future poverty and famine. 1t is all wrong for
ton 10 export wheat. corn cotton tobacco, &C., by
wholesale, as this country is doing, importing
in return very little that add to the productive
capacities OF the earth; but TO pursue this suicidal
course and at the same time neglect and waste those
elements Of fertilization which do not export, as
too many Of our farmers do, is madness-de-
structon. We talk of the rapidly inch easing wealth
and productiveness OF our country, rarely consider
ing that every year is depriying the soil OF proper
ties essential to thrift which millions of dollars would
not replace One of the careful, thorough, aud
extensive observers we know estimates the soil of
this country as now worth, in the average, five hun
died millions Of dollars less than it vas when Ply.
mouth vas first settled by the Europeans; for al.
though a few spots have been increased in fertility
since then, the great bady of the cultivated soil has
been permitted TO deteriorae until immense tracts
which would once hear bounliiu crops Of wheat will
not now return the seed, and whole States winch
would once have averaged forty bushels OF corn To
the acre would moi now average fifteen bushels And
yet the rulnous process goes on, ,nhecdad by the
great mass and unresisted except by the lew. Snail
1t be left unchecked until hole States are exhaust
ed and gradually depopuated? Hear Prof Mapes's
iorclbe appeal:
Exhaustion Of the S0il.-When will our statesmen
awake TO the necessity of viewing agriculture as
fundamental source OF our national prosperity? So
long as we have land in the far West to cult.
waite, the wearing out of that in the older States
seems TO be Ouked upon as matter of little
quence. The older States, with all their best lands
in cultivation do not at this time raise hall the oman.
ty of wheat thew raised lew wears aso: and the
consumers in the Atlantic States are paving nearly
as much for transportation on large proportion Of
their beadsuGs as the farmers who grow it receive
for their grain. The wheat crops OF New York are
years ago, and still no effort is made 10 disseminate
the necessary information for arrestine the evil
Stern necessity has rendered such action as we shall
som require in this country imparitiye in Europe-
Ohio no longer surprises the seaboard farmers bv
large crops and the same course of grooming and
modes Of illage which have impoverished The lands
Of The older states are daily producing similar results
in the lar West MANY farmers are sill living and
caring manures upon their moor farms WIN IN the
Mohawk and Gcnessee valleys threw their ,panures
into the river when Younger This removal of man
ures IRON the vicinity of their stables and throwing
il into the river was called a ssBee and The winter
time was chosen for this suicidal act Whole neishbor
no IDS gel together with their teams and seds for
This purpose and the sams practices are now Elllow
Ell in the Wabash valley the tributaries of the
Mississippi and other rivers are suffered To drain the
very essence of onr future prosperity and To convey
il 10 the ocean, Natures laws tell us that the decay
Of the crops Of one year furnishes the raw
for the creation of those of the next wear. but We
must retain the resul of this decay and not suffer
them to part from us-present individual enterprise
answered must not cause us to orset the debt we
to posterity-and tina; we have no moral ripht 10
hermit the ultimate constituents of nlants The aori
cultural capaI of our country to find lis ,vav Ia The
ocean, or into the ocean of atmosDhere bv sheer TO-
norance and negligence.
1t may be answered, that Europe when necessity
demanded found the means of restoring her worn
out soils TO iertlIty-hs is true; but how will the
same means continue through all time! Hit had not
been Tor the Importation rom our continent oil bread
suns 'd" 'as u a" soItS' gudno' sahpe',e'
,'',e ., elu' a,l o'ier 'e me results
y ueI"1 .''i' ~ u',eNt 10 '"e
Suns i0"'o'eu 'nV' 'os' u't'i"'e eo"Sri'uth's ol
my "o"i1 i1"S &c 'n'' na9e sule'eu rom
I ousne' u oo' ~ pae u co''oh' par
- =, ,esi'', u otle' 'oni'noy we no" seha 10
GU ",e consume" '"eie' p'ses just
-. - -" 10 " P'',''0 III l,ieh
~ !, c,, o NJ H. - "''O ~ :,
- to'i 'n' were DIT an
-" " -. f'Vr 'pt'O'', y, :. VIC .ooA .ne sa"'e
- 'iNy ~ ~ " "s ~ ""'e' ~ =. .nP''t' oui ca
""uN'o. "ou'u - 1u'' do II 's' we are rap
10y a,'.''s WIN ou' Irl'''a liver 10 return me
y. :. e'a1eo pay a. ie"s' ioo
pe' ee"' p'on', "ue" iouseu ior producing new
so"'"e ''',i t'''' may nc iePe"teu ai'ost yearly;
o"' par WIN 'ue,n " 'ne ocean, hrough our rivers,
'p 10y ~, ,'ss ,.s may appear very
-. =. 80 - : IL: d : i ou'' NC 'i''esS' ~
So - ''',U ~ ,,'''s ". ~ u' ups 10 oh,y "'o"'
ssnYs' 'o' ou go ",es u Fe''ory' ana conSe
W.. - ro",u we " con
~ e.'hon e. ~ I"1u 5'"' 10 ''"S our
Jp,,ba ,,r,'nor ,aane 80 ""de. snou'l we
Ias; 1 -, ~ t,,'; =" "
pa'.s G"' J;,;' Ia a. ~" u ~ an
dnc,s he ana ~ co,,,o'e Win F,r3 ~ p,o
$50 80 - Wv" '' "'N'o'"9'
~
Individual farmers may continue to move West as
they wear out 'heir lands; but, as nation, what Ell.
'eot must 'i'S nave ." our sele'a' p'ospefi'y'
1t may be answered, that, as our enlerprising
farmers look r better lands, the tide Of emigration,
composed OF European agrlcullnrIss, will take their
places, ami thus restore the old lands by European
styles OF farming. II the best farmers of Europe
were among those who Come, this might be true -
but those who understand their business seldom mi
CRATE 1t Is the iaborers only who come to us; the
more intelligent anu better educated remain at home
We have but one remedy, and that is entirely
within our reach. Let onr legislators spend part of
the nine enths OF the whole national income which
is now paid by farmers, IN placing proper instructions
within the reach OF those who I'LL the landand that
N a n 81