Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-04-22
horticultural.
Horticulture as q Force ia Cirili-
SQtiOR.


Improvement in everything else, there
must be Improvement in the method Of
agriculture, siace failure here involves
retsrdation everywhere. agriculture
neglected becomes Il "break on the wheels
of progress"
This subject IS complicated with the
question OF population and the average
duration o( life. Owing to progress IN
science and the diffusion of knowledge.
and also to the drainage oflands. and the
sanitary improvcm Mt Of dwellings, the
average duration of human lite has great
IL Increased within the last lew genera
tons. This is not speculation, it is fact
and though there maybe comparatively
more physical weakness now than in
times past. it i in consequence OF our
better methods Of preserving health,
which save even the weak while formerly
owing Ga malaria, filth, ignorance ande
posture. only The strong could survive.
These sanitary Improvements have barely
commenced, and with their constant adj
vance, vii. the average OF life continually
increase; So that while the population Of
the civilized worlU i multiplying more
rapidly Tor some time 10 come, the
earth is filling up. \ few hundred years
may be required TO bring all the arabic
lands Of the hahitablc earth into cultiva.
ton. and until this happens the maximum
OF production will not be reached. But
then. with a high and very complicated
civilization, embracing a still greater d.
versjiy Of industrial activity than is now
known. while ,he population Is crowded.
whence is the food % Gomez
Perhaps food will then he manufactur-
el direct from Inorganic materials; but
We suSpecttha, Nature VII a'Nays reserve
for herself field >acredto ,ue old organic
routine. AMI viii forever compel the
priests of Nature 10 observe her ritual.
Say some animals may be dispensed with
and the fertility OF the soil maintained by
the application ct chemical compounds.
sud in this manner the production ct food
made 10 reach IT, greatest possible limit
Perhaps SO and perhaps the perpetual
motion viii ty introduced at The same
time. ~ any rate, these chemical and
commercial fertilizers are very cNpen-
>ivc. and likely % remain -. Il ! quite
probable that the principal means of
maintaining the produclivcucss of the soil
Nj, De ~ lhe proper rotation OF crops
wai'cr is ro; likely shat domestic ami
mas Will ever 60 out Of fashion, uo, even
the horse. in spite ofan IA, locomotives
aud,clccip,I,> Off .yu Invention. We
suspect Ga, syca. laboratories for the pro
duc,jou OF iumoa laad ui.icvu,iuuc TO be
The vegetable organism
We are aware OF the philosophical ri>h
Of ring .m.,, Co human achievements.
ban there aye So.ac things ,hat cannot oc
cone. Aul. r,uc,ieV here taken OF o.
e,r.c r,c,,,H, iur,,a,iyu % The prodUc-
zion Of food Gee true. the limi, 81 >Uca pro-
ducul Is tote found iu ,Ae extent ct the
arat', >U,.-ro ,l thc earth. rae conditions
liberalization, cad the Influence ol eli
mate. Ea.l of these come, With i.~ own
special form Of Limitation; aud j.. man
Should ,t,romc what vercs;ld a- tie
natural necessities 81 climate arl ci.j!iz.-
u,n. ll,re wa.'J remain sill the limits
ofaraJ,c ,llarc. While, therefore, The
a,al and lwcy Ir,duciug stores of our
planets ar,, i.ra0 Vyac,;,a, consideration
bOc Involved, we'll nigh iueNhau>title;
Vile ,le mp.N,m.u, Of hciaciGtio>
.or c1mmUrc ale limited only 10y Nee
lauica, laws, ,o new APP LEGATIONS OF which
20 bounds can bee ser; while the iuvru-
t.ou ofu,w implements and machinery,
md ,Lc improvement ana divcr>jdca,jou
cf manufactures have Gmilic>> field be-
ere tl,u.-we Yet find Obvious limits to
reduction from ;hc soil. Thi,i> the force
fertilization which will first bring up.
which Will fist fad IT, limits. and stop
there; and. when IL thu touche, is ut
mc,t bounds. "a cheek will be put upon the
expansion Of ..Il The other forces at civil
cation. The manufacturer cannot change
Lie form of wool, cotton and silk. that
axe not produced; commerce cannot car.
~ the cereals that are not grown and The
lhic, ,hat are 40, made-,he limitations
otroductious from The soil will limit thc
cher resources OF civilized expansion
Hence the fundamental. IN poyIaqce 60, AZ
rcuI;urc hence The Importance of CIV
ny the utmost possible extension 10 IL
capabilities This assumes three forms
First, sULiuga,iou of wild lands; second
w. the improvement otf,rm implements;
thirdly. the improvement of method in
the cultivation Of the soil.
We cannot contemplate the decline in
the wheat crops of many sections OF our
own country for the last few yeaIs. with
out the reflection being. forced upon Us
that in connection with il may arise, in
the not distant future, the greatest diff
Guilty OF maintaining the continuous evo-
luton anil progress o! civilized coudit-
ions The wheat product contributes
mainly 70 the substantial support Of civ
zed man. and as such support lies at
tie basis ot whatever else there Is in life,
tlen, in the event that that support be-
comes meager or difficult 10 obtain, so il