Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1855-02-09


term of years. Some Of these impoverish-
cd farms, which, seventy-fve years ago,
produced from twenty to thirty bushels Of
wheat on an average per acre, now yield
only from five to eight bushels. In an ex-
ceedingly interesting work entitled Ame-
rican Hu,bandry," published in London
in IT'S, and written by an American, the
following remarks may be found on page
9s, vol. I. "Wheat in many parts Of the
province (New York; yields larger pro-
duce than is common in England. Upon
good lands about Albany, where tie eli
mate is the Oldest in the country, they SOW
two bushels and better upon an acre, and
reap from t9enty to .torty the latter guam
tity, however, is no. often had, but from
twenty to thirty IRE COMMON; and with
such bad husbandry as would no: yield the
like in England, and much less in Scot
land. This is owing to the richness and
freshness Of the land.
According to the State census of 1915,
Albany county now produces only seven
and half bushels of whea. per acre, al
though its farmers are on tide water and
near the capital of the State, with good
home market, and possess every facility
for procuring the most valuable fertilizers.
Dutchess county, also on the Hudson Ri
yer, produces an average of only five bush
els per acre Columbia six bushels; Rem
selaear eight; Westchcster seven which
is higher than the average Of soils tha:
once gave a return larger than the
wheat lands Of England even with bad
husbandry."
Fully to rcnovate the eight million acres
Of partially exhausted lands in the State Of
New York, will cost at least ar average Of
twelve dollars and half per acre, or an
aggregate Of one hundred million dollars.
1t is nc. an easy task to replace all the
bone earth, potash, sulphur, magnesia, and
organized nitrogen in mould consumed in
field which has been unwiscly cultivated
fifty or seventy-fve years. Phosphorus is
net en- abundant mineral anywhere, and
his sub-so,l is about the only resource Of
the husbandmar, after his surfacc soil has
lost most Of his phosphates. The three
hcndeey! thousand persons that cultivate
these eight million acres of Impoverished
soils annually produce less by twenty 6se
dollars each than b, they would if the land
The aggregate of this loss to The State
and the world is scren million FIVE hundred
thousand dollars per annum, or more than
seven per cent interest on what it will
cost to renovate the deteriora.cd soils.
There is no possible escape from this op-
pressive tax on labor of seven million FIVE
hundred thousand dollars, but to improve
the land, or run of and leave Il.
That The latter has been done 10 large
extent is shown BY comparing TIE popula-
ton in rural districts, at the census of
1880, with that of ls4C. In nearly half
the townships in the State, population de-
creased Notwithstanding the rapid growth
Of cities and villages, demanding an in
crease Of farm labo-ers to supply the mere
local markets The canals of New York
have operated to hasten the exhaustion of
its arabic lands; just as railroad to Cali
fornia would aid in extracting gold dust
from its now unwashed sands. While the
cnnals and railroads Of New York convey
thousand tons Of the few precious uton's
in the surface of the earth which can alone
form bread and meat, to tide water, they
do not carry back from tide water ore ton
of raw material for making crops of any
kind. A million tens of human food pass
down the Mississippi, where one ton Of the
elements of such food ascends the father
Of waters"
1t will be seen, on referring to the census
Of 1910, that the five States Of Maryland,
Virginia, North and South Carolina, and
Georgia, employed at that time ore million
thirteen thousand four hundred and
sixty-ihrec persons in agriculture. OF
this number Maryland had si1ty-nine thou
rand eight hundred and fifty-oue; Virginia
three hundred and eighteen thousand seven
hundred and seventy-one; North Carolina
two hundred and seventeen thousand and
nine.y-fv South Carolina one hundred
and ninety-cight thousand three hundred
and sixty.three; and Georgia two hundred
and nine thousand three hundred and eigh'
ty-three. :,
1t is statistical question Of consider.
able Importance, to determine how much
les. these laborets, and the mules, horses.
and oxen which they work, annually pro-
ducc, than they would, had no acre Of
arabic lands in these States, so highly ia
vored by climate and fertility, been da
magsd ia the least by improper tillagc
The difference in the cost Of making crops
on poor land and on good land is much
greater than is generally supposed. The
e