The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-01-30
DAILY PRESS.
ND
Saturday Morning, January 30, 1869.


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The propensity to leave the courtrv ond
flee to our cities, to quit cultivating the soi
for living-the primeval and most nohle
employment under the sun-and 10 iump the
counter, handle the yardstick or post up book.
has been on the increase for several year
past. Especially have our young men yielded
to the propensity and Jared worse The trutl
is the producing classes do not keep ever
pace with the consumers, and hence ou
country does not grow rich so fast as nigh
une, in an article under the above caption
gives us some very startling and valuable
statistic which we shall do well to ponder
1t is a fact that not less than 100000 o.
people live in our cites. Now this great num-
Der has to be fed from what comes from the
bosom OF mother Earth, and the sea, and yet
their hands produce nothing, but the product
OF farm labor is daily passing down their
throats.
1t is a startling fact that one-seventh of all
| the food produced in the country is consum-
| ed in cities, or in other words as the Tribune
has it, "as much is consumed in seven years
as is produced from field, garden and meadow
| OF the whole United States in one year-that
is, grain, vegetables, fruits, poultry, sheep,
hogs, cattle and whatever else is required
for food" Now all this food which finds its
| way to the city and is there consumed has
been extracted from the soil and exhausted
| many OF its valuable elements. The question
arises, where do all these elements 60 to ?
The answer is plain. They have gone into
city sewers and been lost forever-lost at
least until in some new geologic age, an ex-
hausted country, no longer able to sustain
the human race, sinks to form a new ocean
b=d when that which is now the ocean floor
rises to give other lands-fiesh fields and
pastures new."
To save all these elements and return
them again to the exhausted soil from which
they were taken is consideration of the
deepest interest, and especially since farming
lands in our country have become so much
exhausted by continual cropping and bad
management. Recent English reports ex-
hibit the interesting fact that sewerage is so
valuable that land TO which it is applied rents
from 500 to $200per acre ,and this involves no
mystery because this sewerage contains the
essential elements of fertility. This kind of
manure is especially valuable ON light sandy
soils, and the great question is how can it be
saved and again returned to the land in its
new form. To do this will require much en-
geneering Skill But no doubt, this skill may
be successfully applied, and probably will be
at some future period unless the geological
revolution referred to takes place before many
years.
Now our city is small compared with many
others, and yet what vast amount of valua-
BILE manure every year, and every month in
fact, runs into the waters of our harbor and
into the back bay! II it could be gathered
up, transported and spread upon the soil of
Cape Elizabeth, what fertile and produc-
tive garden that town would be! Thus fer
tilted and wisely cultivated there is land
enough to produce food for all the people o1
the Forest city. 1t would contain such farms
| and gardens as were never seen in this coun-
try, and their products would astonish the
natives. This generation may not see such
demonstrations on the earth, but the time will
come when the lands.of that town and Others
in the vicinity of this city, will be so fertlized
and cultivated that they will produce vastly
more than they now do. The truth is, too
| many farmers not only in this vicinity, but
all over the State-and we might add over our
whole country, have been in the habit oi
"skinning" their lands, and as their crops be-
gan to deminish, they have increased the area
and con sequently increased the labor of pro-
duction.
1t is absolutely astonishing, and even
shocking to any mans judgment who serious
| ly reflects upon the subject, to think how
much hard labor is expended and what 6
large area is gone over-we will not so much
abuse the word as to say cultiuated-to raise
small crops, while one half the acreage woult
produce more abundant crops, if properly fer
tilted and cultivated Men work hare
enough in all conscience, but what avails il
to keep hammering away unless the nail is
hit on the head? Well directed blows, and
not random shots, do the work. If you wish
the game to come down the gun must mo-
only be well aimed, but also held steadily
The trout must be well hooked before tn
rod is raised or he will not be caught.
Farmers must come to it one of thes
years. They can't support their families an,
save something for market by ranging owe
so much land. The re is no good husbandr,
although there is much hard work in such
process. If half the labor expended in goin!
over so much land was directed to manufac
turing and saving the various kinds of ma
nure the soil needs, the cultivator would hav
larger crops and save much of his strength
AT present the farmer must enlarge his are
and increase his labors every year in order t.
keep his crops up to the standard, aud raise
given amount of food for his family and hi
stock. We urge our farmers to seriously re
fleet on this subject. 1t is in this way tha
they may improve their farms, live more in
dependently and not wea, themselves out il
such useless labors. .......
..o AGRIcoLA.