Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1855-04-05
Premium Essays for the Improvement Of
Agriculture.

Il is lamentable fact that the elements
Of fertility Of the virgin soil Of the Great
West are steadily and rapidly becoming ex-
haust under the injudicious and ruinous sys-
TEN Of farm management which is almost
universally procticed. A large portion OF
the Atlantic States have long since become
exhausted, and thousands Of the population
have been compelled to seek new homes in
The far West. With the rapid increase Of
population, The time is not far distant when
all the valuable portions Of the public domain
will be occupied by actual settlers. Few
farmers are aware Of the rapid waste Of the
ferliizing elements Of the soil which they
cultivate. II is said by intelligent wheat
growers Of the recently settled portions Of
Illinois and Wisconsin tina; even the "iner-
hauSiiLle SoiJ' of these sections produces
nearly one half less bushels Of wheat per
acre now than when new. Look, for in
stance, at the returns Of the great State of
New York, with her increasing population
and the increasing breadth Of land brought
under cultivation, which show q decrease Of
the following products, for the period of five
years, between lS45 and 1850, in round
numbers:
Of potatoes, the decrease was 1000, COO bush.
Peas and beens 80. ...... ''..'' ,OOO,UUO
Flax. ...... ..... L 100000 lbs.
Wool ...... ,..... ...... '....'3 100000
Wheat and bucliweat..... ..02l OCO bush.
OF cattle, swine ara sheep, the decrens Re
in value for the same time was over So
$4,000.
DR.. James Higgins, the chemist Of Mar!
land Agricultural Society, who is familiar
with The facts connected with the guanotrade
estimated the quantity imported into the L.
States last year at 100000 tons, and states
that the importation the present year will
probably amount TO 100000, which at the
lowest price $50 per tom will amount to
&l2,5oO,OO0. While ali The corn and corn-
meal exported during the last year amounted
10 less than $4,000. 900. The largest por-
tion of The vast sum expended in single
gear for guano will go to restore the exhaus-
ted soil of the States Of Maryland, Virginia
and North Carolina.
The immense deposit Of guano which was
first discovered upon the Island of lchabe
has long since been exhausted. The same
will one day be said Ct that upon the Chincha
Islands, three in number, upon the coast Of
Peru.
It is all undeniab!e fact that good soil
may be cultivated, under a proper system OF
rotation, wih greater profit, and at the same
time not only retain its native fertility, but
it may be constantly improved We are not
the owners, but "tenantf at will'' of the soil
we cultivate, and we should feel that we
are bound by the highest obligations 10 God
The creator and proprietor, 10 preserve its
fruitful powers for future generations.
IN view of these alarming facts we pro-
pose 10 offer premiums for series Of essays,
having for their object the improvement! "l
the agriculture Of the West.
For The first, we offer prize of $50 &c
the writer's who will send us, by the lst Of
jane next, the best, and $l5 for the second
best essay, which shal! not exceed in length
three columns of the Weekly Journal, upon
the subject of farm management, including
asystem of rotation of crops adapted 20 In
diana, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee
having in view the preservation and i'm
provement Of the soil and the most profitable
annual returns.
The president and two of the vice prcs
dents of the Southwestern Agricultural As
sociation shall constitute committe 10 de
termine upon the merits of the essays.
We reserve TO ourselves the privilege o
publishing am portion Of any essay that ma.
be sent to us, whether rewardeda premiua
or not Leu. Jour.
IL.