The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-03-10
Necessity for Agricultural Science.

Common observation is sufficient 10 con.
vince any one that the processes OF cul,iva.
ton now generally pursued are'eShausting 10
the fer,ilizing properties OF the soil. carrying
from il far more than is returned TO il. This
must be the case so long as the produce of
the country fluids It's way 10 the cities and
foreign countries for consumption, and no
method is devised for returning from thence
or other sources, fertilizers 10 the amount
thus removed.
In the Pa,en, Office Report for 1898,
ID. Lee, NJ. d., has a long article on Amer.
lean Agriculture aud Education, in which
he truly says -" Produc,iveness of crops
and deslrucliyeness Of soil are the two mos,
prominent features of American agriculture.
The latter feature arises from the fact that we
have continent 10 cultivate and exhaus, OF
its virgin feriility.n
American Lands have been cheap 10 the
first settlers, and everywhere productive
when newly brought under culli, aiion.-
Hence the first settlers have though, only OF
their abundant crops, and neglected those
means which are necessary 10 replenish
their soil and conlnue their produc,iveness.
When exhausted, they have been aban-
doned, and the proprietor pushed off again
into the wilderness, feeling that he could
better afford 10 clear new lot than TO re-
claim the worn Ou, soil Of the old farm.-
Such has been and is now the process going
on in the new regions Of our country, from
Maine TO Georgia, from The Pacific TO the
Atlantic, and from the lakes of the North 10
the gulf OF Mexico. The cry has always
been when the tide Of emigration has been
turned 10 new section that lis soil contains
the elements Of ineXhaus,ible productive.
ness. This has alike been said OF the east
ern par, of Maine, Penobsco,, Aroos,ook,
Sc, of the far west, Ohio, Illinois, Wiscon.
sin, SC, together with the vast regions Of
the sunny south. But facts have demon
siraied that il has been chimera in nearly
every instance where there has been sutfi-
cieni time for full developement Of the
resources of the soil. Southern plantations
have been eNbausted and given over a.
worthless, while the owner has sought new
fields of prof, in unoccapied lands. The
northern and western husbandman has had
TO resort 10 manuring, and been doomed 10
experience for years the disadvantages
which his mistakes have cost him. DR..
Lee, who lives at the South, and under
stands well the condition Of southern agri.
culture, represents the cotton culture as
de,erioraiing the soil at rapid rate. From
statistical data he has demonstrated that
two thirds of the improved lands Of the
State of New York are damaged 10 the ex-
tent of three dollars TO the acre year. An
inelligen, gentleman had found that twelve
years cultivation OF Wisconsin lands had
diminished their producliveness near one
half.
Ane- collecting together great variety
Of facts, DR.. Lee comes 10 the following
conclusions "The practice of drawing on
American soil as an inexhauslible capital
prevails equally all over the United States,
and il is truly bred in the bone and flesh
of the people. Wherever il is possible 10
bring the ligh, Of truthful science TO bear
on the land under cultivation, .here the
consumption OF its virgin fertility is demon.
slraied. or the one hundred and twenty
five million acres, tour fiiihs, or one hun.
dred millions, are damaged 10 the extent Of
three dollars an acre per aannm. By which
remark we mean tha, complete restitution
OF the elements of the crops removed, such
as potash, soda, lime, magnesia, chlorine,
phosphoric and sulphuric acids, and am.
monia, cannot be made shor, OF three dol.
lars per acre. All manuring OF every kind
implies the necessity Of making restitution
10 the earth cultivated by man; but this
first and highes, dhiy Of the cullivator and
husbandman is now almost universally neg
lec,ed.n
Such conclusion is certainly startling,
and must awaken no little solicilude in the
bosom Of the patriot for remedy. What
can be done TO arrest tide which is so con-
sian,ly aud certainly bearing the life and
energy of our cultivated lands into our
cities, down our rivers, and across our
oceans! We may plan and devise as we
will, the only eiiectual answer to this Ques.
ton can be found in thorough system of
agricultural education. The people must,
understand this whole matter, aud science
must find out the remedy. According 10
the above estimate, the Union is losing an
nually $500, ,O00, 900 in the exhaustion of
her soil for the want Of the general diffusion
OF agricultural knowledge. Should this
sum be expended annually for few years
in establishing and endoMing agricultural
schools, how soon the want would be sup
piled The lands of the state and the ma.
ton, devoted 10 this purpose, nigh, be saw
ed from the fate which the par, of our do
main now under cultivation has received,
y.