The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1857-10-13
ANNUAL ADDRESS,
i Delivered before the rl
Michigan State Agricultural Society
Thursday, Oct. 4, 1857.
By SANFORD HOWARD, ESQ, .,
f1 OF BOSTON, MASS s

Mr. Fresid nt and Gentlemen of the Mich.
| igdn State Agricultural Society:
] have accepted the invitation to address
you at this time, with some hostation.---
Addresses called agriculture as by no means
rare in these days, and tie selection of a
subject or subjects, interesting and appfo-
pirate to an oc, asion like this, is hot an
easy task. The field has long been occu-
pied by able minds, and original discover
les are not to be expected as of frequent
occurrence. For my own part, / shall
make no attempt TO startlo you with new
| ideas or novel arguments
In rejecting how my services could be
rendered most acceptible, i have conclud-
ed to offer few practical suggestions on
THE Defects Of american agriculture and
the Means Of Remedeing them.
The most prominent defect of American
agriculture is the exhaustion of the fertili
~ OF the SOIL. In general, tne cUuIov Ur
what is called cultivation, in this country,
has been one of devastation. This may
sound harsh 10 the car, but the truth must
not be suppressed because it is disagreeablc.
The evidences of the deterioration of the
soil are seer from the shore of the A tlan-
tic to the Valley of the Mississippi. The
wearing out process is not con6nedto New
England, or the Eastern portions of the
Middle and Southern States, but has cross.
cd the Allcghanies, and is oh"ious :, many
paris of Oho-that State So lately regard.
ed rs the Hespcrian Paradise, producing
,l,,, f,nI ,,f al.
fusion! Probably the same tcndancics are
perceptihlc in other Western States, though
in reference to them ] am unable to speak
so positively, from want of personal ohscr.
vation. But there is no need of going in
to particulars to prove this decrease of fer
tility-it will be generally admitted. 1t
may be well to say, however, that | do
not cite the wheat crop 40 u proper oritorion
in this case, it being well known that the
deficiency in this crop, of late years, in
the eastern and portion of the western
states, is owing much to the prevalence of
an insect (the wheat midge) which was un-
known in this country, I'll about 1880. It's
first appearance was in Lower Canada,
from whence it has been gradually spread
ing to the south and west.
The first question that suggests itself in
regard to the deterioration of the soil, is,
How shall it be obviatedG In considering
this question, it will be proper to notice
the nature of the soil, and to compare our
circumstances with those of older nations.
There are old-settled countries whose pow
ers of production instead of diminishing,
are greater at the present time than they
were thousand years ago. The remark,
of course, is intended to apply to land oc-
cupied for this length of time The fact
i srSs{sf Rs{Gyef boP8aRJaY psf RY hEah hE h sqPpoBdpGG
authentic returns of the amount of agri-
cultural products. Great Britain, Holland,
Belgium and other European states may
by mentioned as furnishing examples in
point How has fertility been maintained
then? The answer in substance is-by
paying due attention to the cultivation of
crops in respect to their different effects on
the soil,-by keeping large numbers of do
mcstic animal, saving all the manure that
could he obtained from them and applying
it to the soil. This answer suggests line
Of policy for ourselves, and why should we
not follow in the same direction?
am aware that different doctrine has
been broached. 1t has been held that, rs
our circumstances differ in some respects
from those of the countries named, their
example is nothing to us-that as long as
we have unsettled territory, it is better we
should exhaust the soil, leaving the ex-
hausttd d portions. and taking up new lands
Ia IN o., .,,1
it is asked, what is to be done when the
devastating tide has swept over the conti-
nent, and there are no more lands to con-
quer7 the reply from those who hold this
doctrine is. That calamity, II it be one,
can only fall on poSterity so rcmatc that it
is of no consequence; and besides, what
obligations are we under to posterityi-
What did they ever do for us9
The first thing in regard to the question
before us-the preservation Of fertility-is
the proper division Of the land in reference
to products best adapted to different soils
and localities. Some soils arc naturally 80
poor that they will not pay for cultivation.
Proximity to good markets and peculiar
facilities for the production of some crop
lOT WHICH titTc IN ~ ufilldilNi IidN Iipull1
this position, but il will stani as general
fact. Such land should be devoted to the
growth of wood-the different species of
trees being placed according to their adap-
tation 10 the soil and situation. This of
itself would make vast change in the as
pect of the country. In the older-settled
portions there are large tracts Of which tho
forest should be permitted to resume its
shade-athough this by no means amounts
TO an entire abandonment Of the regions
alluded to.
Having decided the question as to what
land should be cultivated, the next step is
TO adopt for the remainder, that course
which will insure the bcs. rcturns--to suit
the crops TO the marLet--and pursue
system which while it enables the fathers
TO live comfortably, shall not entail power
" on ,he children.
The SAVING and application Of naanures
comes in here as n matter Of the highest
importance. / am conscious that amcng
men accustomed to cultivate soil Of great
natural fertility, it may seem that an un-
due prominence is given TO manurcs; but
it may be safely assumed that all soils are
liable 10 exhaustion, except those which
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