Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1855-02-09
A View Of American Agriculture,
CHAPTER II.
What the Country has lost BY In,porcrish-
ing It's iSoH

CHAPTER II.
What the Country has lost by Imporcrish-
ing It's iSoH
Taking the census of ls40 as the basis
Of the calculation, and adding no more
than the usual increase, including immi-
grants, the number now employed in agri-
culture in the United States doe. not vary
much from five millions. The number Of
acres which they cultivate is not known.
In the State Of New York, there are somo
twelve million Of acres of improved land,
which includes all meadows and enclosed
pastures This area employs about FIVE
hundred thousand laborers; being an aver
age of twenty -four acres to the hand. At
this ratio, the number of acres ofimptoeed
land in the United States ia ono k"r.--h
an old and more den,ely populated State
than an average in the Union; and PROB
ABLY twenty-five acres per head is a juster
estimate for the whole country. At this
rate, the aggregate is one hundred and
twenty-five millions. Of these improved
lands, it is confidently believed that at least
four ffths are now suffering deterioration
in greater or less degree.
The fertility Of some, particularly in the
planting States, is passing rapidly away,
in others the progress Of exhaustion is so
slow as hardly to be observed by the cul-
tieators themselves. To keep within the
truth, the annual income from the soil may
be said to be diminished ten cents an acre,
on one hundred million acres, or four-6fths
Of the whole.
This loss Of income is ten millions OF
dollars, and equal to sinking capital Of
one hundred and sixty-six million six
hundred and s;xty-si1 thousand dollars a
year, paying six per cent annual interest.
That improved farming lands may justly
be regarded as capital and fair invest
ment when paying six per cent. interest,
and perfectly safe, no one will deny. This
deterioration is not unavoidable, for thou
sands Of skillful farmers have taken fields,
poor in point Of natural productiveness,
and, instead of diminishing their fertility
have added ten cents an acre to their an
nual income, over and above all expenses.
If this wise and improving system Of ro-
tation tillage and husbandry were univer-
sally adopted, or applied to the one hund-
red million acres now being exhausted, it
would be equivalent to creating each year
m additional capital Of one hundred and
sixty-six million six hundred and sixty
six thousand dollsra, and placing it in per-
manent real estate, where it would pay six
per cent. annaal interest. For all practi-
cal purposes, the difference between the
two systems is three hundred and thirty
three million three hundred and thirty
three thousand dollars year to the couu-
try.
There is another view of this important
subject which is worthy Of profound con-
sideration. Of the twelve million acres Of
improved land in the State of New York
one million are 80 cultivated as to become
richer from year to year. These improving
soils are iu the hands Of forty thousand
cultivators, who take and read agricultural
journals, and nobly sustain the State and
county societies Of that Commonwealth.
Three million acres Of the twelve nilli
ons are SO managed as barely to hold theil
own in point and fertility. These lauds
belong to class of farmers who do as vel
as they know from personal observation
and seeing how reading men improve theil
estates and domestic animals.
Eight million acres are in the hands o
three hundred thousand persons, who still
adhere to the colonial practice Of extract
| ing from the virgin soil all it will yield, s.
long as it will pay expenses to cropit an