The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-07-29

| hbihii'-N VT lNthEASE pF CRUpS III .
NATIONAL PROSPERITY.
| DIR. WATERBURY, made an argument in OPP
| position to that Of Mr.. Warning at the last
meeting, namely, that the productions of the
country are decreasing in their per acre yield
that land is less fcrtilc-and growing less
productive every year that it is cultivated,
! through the bad management and wastcful-
ness of those who are engaged in agriculture.
1t seemed to be an object of the speaker to
convince himself that this was not the case,
because the census returns show an increas-
cd aggregate.
| He seemed to think that the farmer who is
removed from the vicinity Of railroads should
sit quietly and see his soil dcprcciate in val
ne, merely because he could not procure fer
tillzcrs as cheap as others. He argued that
our soil is improving, as Il whole, notwith-
standing the fact that each individual farm is
being reduced in value. He seemed to think
that the aggregate increase was a sign of in
creasinS fertility. He proved that this was
the case by census statistics, because more
wheat was grown in the last decade than the
preceding one. lie proved by the same au-
thorlty that the quality Of sheep had vastly
improved, because it appeared that sheep
decreased in numbers in five years twenty
five per cent, yet the yield of wool was great
or than ever by 81 per cent lie said that
money, land, houses, merchandise, were not
wealth; wealth was Il surplus Of producc which,
we could send abroad for sale. which would
as matter of course dctcriorate the soif
slowly, which we could not and need not try
to prevent, because we had so much new land
so cheap-not worth over so an acre on an
average, and therefore, notwithstanding he
detailed a great many sources of waste and
ways of Improvement, the farmer could not
do it while he raised anything to sell, and as
our tendency was toward free radc in view
of that fact we have nothing to fear for our
future success. His remarks on the bcncf-
ca action Of springs and frosts were valuable
and instructive.
SCION RoBINsoN-I rise to controTcrt u few
OF the monstrons propositions OF the last
spcakcr-that the American farmer must
raise grain to feed European paupcrs, by
which his soil must be wasted, while he must
sit down and see it run away, because he
cannot afford to buy manures and keep it in
good condition. He tells us that wealth is
surplus produce, which Il farmer may send
abroad, and yet only minute before he told
that his neighbors last spring had a surplus
of potatoes which they could not sell for ten
cents bushel, because they could not ship them
10 England. Ifthcre had been manufacture
Ing village in their midst, there would have
been no surplus-no potatoes selling for ten
cents. lie said, ssif man is so unfortunate
as to be q farmer. ''-Ycs, it is unfortunate to-
be such Il farmer as only lives to feed Euro
pcan paupers, or raise potatoes that he cam
not sell at ten cents buyhel; or farmer that
cannot afford to buy.maHurc. There is no far
mcrthat cannot double his money ifjudiciously
expended in some concentrated fertilizer for
his exhausted soil-whether il is lime, plas-
ter, phosphate, guano, potash. nitrate of soda
or common salt, whichever his land wants. |
will not allow this abomnablc doctrine to go
out uncontradictcd as the sentiment of this
Club, that man must sit down contcnteu to
see his land go to waste, by the natural course
Of events which must follow the free trade
doctrine.
AS to these census report figures proving
anything but that the whole thing is liz,
they do not. Who believes that the sheep of
this State decreased IS per cent in five years.
What became of them! Did we cat them
up? We did eat $1,000 last week, but that
would not reduce the number at the rate of
% per cent; and if it did, who believes that
the product of wool inc rcased. If that is a
fact, let us reduce the number another quar-
ter, or else do like the freshman who was re-
commended to buy 4 stove to save half the
fuel, buy two and save the whole.
1t is this scan't afford it' doctrine, that
hangs like an incubus about the necks of
American farmers, and binders all improve
ment, and makes us work like willing slaves,
though very foolish ones, to raise surplus
Of such produce as we can send to Europe to
sustain the doctrine Of free trade.
Gro. L. WARING, Jr., of Rye, N. Y.-Mr.
Chaitman. 1t seems to me that the gentle
man has been reasoning ON false principles.
do not intend to say that we are not now
producing more IN the aggregate than we ever
have done before, but Sir, do say, without
fear Of contradiction, that in very many parts
of the country the land is becoming yearly
less capable Of producing as large crops (pcr
acre) as our improved implements Indicate
that they should do, while those fields which
yield abundant crops are not, except in rare
cases, compcnsate& for their loss of inorganic
matter, and that they are on the rapid road
to impovcrishmcnt. This, Sir, may be read
lily seen from casual glance at the laws
which govern the fertility of the soil and the
growth Of plants. DR.. Waterbury might
bring every census report ever published,
and hold them up in evidence of its correct
ness, and he would find the facts Of nature
science still unwilling to bow before them.
No, Sir. The gentleman is wrong in. his
opinion. The law that something taken from
something leaves less than ras present at fist, is
immutable, and our experience as farmers
has shown, and ever will show, that we arc
pursuing u wrong course.
But do not propose to illustrate farther
the injurious. tendency of our present sys-