The union Democrat., 1870-04-02
Agriculture a. a Force to ci.llizanon.

since failure Involves here retardation every
where. Agriculture neglected becomes
brake on the wheels Of progress.
/ This subject il complicated with the ques-
/ tion uf population and the average duration
OF life. Owing IN progress in science and the
diffusion of know ledge. and also 10 the drain
age Of lands, and the sanitary Improvement
OF dwellings, the average duration of human
| life has greatly increased within the last few
generations. This is not speculation. it is
fact and though there may be comparatively
more physical weakness now than in times
past. il is in consequence Of oar better meth
DDS Of preserving health, which save even the
weak, while formerly, owing TO malaria, filth.
| ignorance and exposure, only the strong
could survive. These sanitary improvements
have barely commenced. and with their con-
slant advance, will the eavarage of life increase;
so that tie population Of the civilized world
will be multiplying more rapidly for some
| time to come The earth is filing up. 4 few
hundred years may be required to bring all
the arabic lands OF the habitable earth into
cultivation, and until this happens the maxi
mum of production viii not be reached. But
then, with high and very complicated civil
ization, embracing a still greater diversity of
industrial activity than is now known, while
| CROWDED, whence Is tne luou to COME
| Perhaps food will then be manufactured d.
rect from inorganic materials, but we suspect
that nature will always reserve for herself
will forever compel the lreists of nature to
obserse her ritual, Say some animals may
be dispensed with. and the fertility Of the soil
mairt rtained by the application of chemical
compounds. and in this manner the production
of food made to reach it's greatest possible
limit. Perhaps so; and perhaps the perpetu-
al motion will be introduced at the same time.
At any rate, these chemical and com mercial
fertilizers are very expensive. and likely to
remain so. 1t is quite probable that the
principal means of maintaining the produc
tiveness of the soil will be by the proper rota-
ton of crops; while it is no. likely that do
nestle animals will ever 60 out of fashion, not
even the horse, in srite of all the locomotives
and velocpedes of modern invention. We
suspect the great laboratories for the produc-
ton of human food will continue to be the
vegetable organism.
We are aware of the philosophical risk of
setting limits to human achievements; but
there are some things that cannot be done.
And. il the view here taken of organic neces-
sity in relation to the production of food be
true, the limit to such production is to be
found in the extent of the arabic surface of
the earth, the conditions of fertilization. and
the influence Of climate. Each Of these comes
with its own special form of Imitation; and if
man should overcome what we regard as the
natural necessities of climate and civilization,
there would remain still the limits of arabic
surface. While, therefore, the heat-and-force-
producing stores of our planet are. for all prac-
tical considerations here involved, we'll nigh
inexhaustible; while the improvement of the
facilities for commerce are limited only by
mechanical laws. to new applications of which
no bounds can be set: while the invention of
new implements and machinery. and tae inn
provement and diversifcaton of manufactures
have lmitess field before them-we vet
find obvious limits to production from the soil.
This is the force Of civilization which will first
"brirg up, which will first find its limits,
and stop there: and, when it thus touches its
utmost bounds. check will be put upon the
expansion of all the other forces of civilization.
The manufacturers cannot change the form OF
wool, cotton, and silk, that are not produced;
commerce cannot carry the cereals that are
not grown and the fabrics that are net made
the limitations of production from the soil
will limit the other resources of civilized ex-
pansion. Hence, the fundamental impor-
tance of agriculture; hence the Importance of
giving the utmost possible extension to it's ca
liabilities This assumes three forms First,
the subiugation of wild lands; secondly, the
improvements of farm implements; thirdly,
the Improvement of method in the cultivation
of the soil.
We cannot contemplate the decline in the
wheat crop of many sections Of our country
for the last few years, without the reflection
being forced upon us that in connection with
it may arise, in the most distant future, the
greatest difficulty of maintaining the contin-
unus evolution and progress of civilized con-
ditions. The wheat product contributes main
IL to the substantial support of civilized man,
and as such support lies at the basis of what
ever else there is in life, then, in the event
that. that support becomes meager or difficult
20 obtain, so is every nerve and fiber of the
civilized body subjected to unfavorable condi-
tons. Hence the Importance, to the higher
Aims of life, of the success of So plain, unpre
tending, and practical an affair as that of
growing wheat, or in the event of its ultimate
failure, of the culture of q fitting substitute.
The population of uncultivated regions is
necessarily sparse, the game and natural pro-
ducts of the soil of many square miles of terri
tory being requisite for the support of pri-
mltlve family. Wneu animals nave become
domesticated, larger population may snh-
s,st on the same extent ofterritory. The cul-
tivation of the soil, in addition, though rude.
makes possible still denser population. The
more agriculture is improved, and the great
er the amount of food which can be obtained
from a given extent of surface for long
series of wears. the denser still may popula-
ton become. The more improved the impe
ments of agriculture, the smaller the proper
.ion of the whole people needed to produce
the necessaries of life from the soil, and the
greater the proportion that can be spared to
other departments of industry for the produc-
tion, of other necessaries. conveniences, and
luxuries of civilized life. Improved i'm
plements and methods would at once redoce
the number of hours per day necessary for
the support of the lahorer, were il not that
part of the Surplus is absorbed in the prodnc-
tion of greater variety of the comforts and
luxuries Of life. while still another part goes
Through the hands Of caritalistsl into per-
manent structures. as buildings, bridges, rail-
roads, canals, the improvement of rivers ard
harbors. and the like conquests OF clviliTa-
ton, the prestige and promise of others still