The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1856-03-05
TAKING FROM THE SOIL WITHOUT MAX
ING RETURNS

TAKING FROM THE SOIL WITHOUT MAX
ING RETURNS.
Almost every farmer, however young or
~ informed, knows The consequence If lax.
ing oil crop after crop from any field is 70
llmpoverish and render gradually less and
less productive the soil Of that field. And vet
notwithstanding this very obvious and well
known faof. there are to be found SOME in the
Western states-rrobably made blind IL, or
obliyious Of thr nbuye fact BY their self in
terest--who arge this as reason why agri-
cultural Journals which are published al the
East must be Of little or no use to farmers [
the Vest. That Eastern papers are occupied
10 considerable exte MT In recording results
Of experiments with different kinds Of fertili.
zers and in giving directions as to the man
siacture, preservation and application of these
restorers Of what The crops have taken from
the soil. They boast that the virgin soils Of
the West are so rich as TO render il useless
~ those who farm them TO pay any attention
to the subject Of manures. How vain, how
delusiye this boast and this self interested
plea are, thousands Of farmers, wnD have
already exhausted the fertility Of their soiIs
BY continual cropping without making any
returns in the shape Of nanures or fertilizers,
might be found who could testify from
mournlul personal experience. A thousand
witnesses might be found WHO could testify
that by continual cropping they have found
their soils becoming less aud less productive
And few farmers can be SO i'll informed as to
be imposed upon by such special pleading
so i'll informed as not To know, that when
produce is taken away from farHt. the ele-
ments Of what is carried OF must be put back
again. IL the land is to be kept in the same
good heart as il originally was. No man who
is ignorantof this truth, or negects IL in prac.
tice, can be good farmer. or his practice good
farming; and certainly all who try for mum.
Der Of years 10 take frcm the soil without
giving back the elements, in some form. Of the
produce taken of, will find at the West or
at the East. that they are pursuing a course
that is impoverishng and ruinous.
Several Of the Southern States furnish ex-
amplcs Of this sure, though slow deterioration
Of the soil BY continual cropping without max.
Ing any return 81 The chemical elements of
the produce carried Of. In Johnston.s Ele-
ments Of Agricultural Chemistry and Geology
we find the decay Of fertility in these South
ern States held forth as a warning 10 the
cutisators Of the rich suils Of the West, in
language which seems as if il had been
prompted by some such vain and deceptive
bnast as that to which we have alluded. This
standard authority thus writes:
Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina
once rich and iertiic--by long continued
system Of forced and exhaustins culture, have
become unproductiyc in many places, and
vast tracts have been abandoned toapparent-
y hopeless steriliiy. Such lands il is, indeed.
possible 10 reclaim. but at what an expense
of time, manure and skiiiinl management. 1t
i to be hoped that the newer States will not
thus sacrifice their future power and pros
/ poets to present and temporary wcal,h--that
/ the 6ne lands OF Ohio, Kentucky and the
Prairie States, which now yield Indian corn
and wheat. crop after erop without manure.
will not be so cropped till their strength aud
subsiane are gone; but that a bcttertoniucted
and mOre skiIliul husbandry will continue,
without diminishing the present crops. to se-
cure permanent fertility 10 that naturally
rich and productive country.
This hope will certainly be disappointed II
the farmers Of the West are encouraged by
thase 10 whom they look for direction and
/ guidance, 10 be needless as 20 the means ul
restoring 70 the soil lie elements Of what
they take from i 10 their crops. and 10 pay
an attention TO saving or applying these ele-
ments in the form Of barn yard manure or
animal excremcnts. or the concentrated fer
i tili1ers which within lew wears have come
50 extensively into use. The elements that
enter into HE composition uf wheat OF any
other crop cannot be ineshaustiblc in any s0l:
and they must become rapidly decreased, at
The rate wheel, is indicted by the chemical
analysis Of sprongel and nthrrs, according TO
which crop Of wheat carries of in silica,
soda and potash, lime, pbusphorio acid. and
nher inorganic elements alone abnut SO lbs.
for 200 lbs. of grain and straw produced.
The sol is thus much pourer for every crop,
and will soon show its III treatment by scan.
ticr harses,s. Country Gentleman.