Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-05-27
farnlrrs' Column.
AMERICAN AGRIcULrURE.

1t is melancholy truth, and one that
reflects much on the skill and foresight
Of American farmers, that while the
wheat crop of England has increased at
least fifty per cent. in the last century,
that of the United States has fallen of
in nearly the same proportion. A GEN.
fury ago New England and Delaware
raised wheat as an ordinary crop; now a
wheat field is rarity in these States,
and they may be considered no longer
wheat-producing regions. Portions Of
New York that formerly produced thirty
bushels to the acre, now seldom average
oyer eight bushels; and Ohio, new as
she is, with her virgin soil, does not av-
erage over thirteen bushels to the acre
If We 60 on as we have for the past
century, from bad to worse in our tillage,
the lands in Ohio in half century from
this time will not produce wheat enough
to supply our ownwants. 1t less than
that time since Vermont was large
wheat exporting State; now she does
not export q bushel, but imports at least
two-thirds Of all the -four consumed in
that State. Instead of increasing the
productiyeness of our wheat land, as is
done in England, our wheat region is
diminished more than one-half, and the
productive quality Of what is still used
has diminished in equal proportion.
This is q practical, ..nat.teref fact view
of the case, and one that addresses itself
seriously to the common sense of the
farmer and national economist. Instead
Of the vain boast that we can feed all
Europe from our surplus wheat, we have
got to improve our farming or swallow
the unpalatable truth that we import
our breadstuils from England
We talk much of the worn-out lands
of Maryland, Virginia, and Carolina /;
but New York, that has destroyed the
productive quality Of her soil so that she
can get but eight bushels where she for
,nerly got thirty, and Ohio so she gets
but thirteen bushels where she formerly
got thirty FIVE, have the same prospect
before them. The great question regards
the future; the past cannot be recalled
nor remedied.
One great source Of deterioration in
exhausting our soils, has been in the
manufacture Of potash, and the export
OF it to foreign countries or to our man
ufactories. In this way our soil has
been robbed Of an ingredient without
which no plant can mature and no cereal
grain form. As our forests have disap-
peared, this source of deterioration must
be cut off; but serious injury has been
inflicted, which nothing can cure but the
re-furnishing of the potash to the SOIL
How can it be done? is the great inquiry
for our farmers.
The export of our -four has been an
other source of exhaustion to the soil, in
taking away from it the phosphate of
lime, that is necessary to give plumpness
to the kernel.
This exhaustion can be more easily
rcmedied by the application Of bone
dust. For many years the English far
,ners have carried on a large traffic in old
bones, paying FIVE dollars a ton for them
This has stimulated many to gather them
up, and even to rob the battle6elds of
Europe of the bones of their brave de
tenders to enrich the wheat fields Of
England BY this course the fields Of
England have been made more produc-
tive, while. the countries from which the
bones are taken have been permanently
injured by their loss.
The English, too, have sent to every
island of South America to procure nitre,
in the form of guano, to fertilize their
fields, while the Americans not only i'm
port little, but negligently waste that
which Nature forces on them. Ohio
Farmer.