Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-07-29
agricultural.


profitable one that can be discussed by
farmers and, therefore. should the most
interest him. Manure is his capital stock
his stock in trade. As we'll might the
banker and the merchant expect success
in their business, as the farmer expect
success in his without manure. The
more money the banker has, the more IN
tcrest he will receive. and the more he
can make in speculation on stocks. With
money enough he can control the rail-
roads of state. and can make money
plenty or scarce. Tie more money the
merchant is possessed OF. the more goods
he can buy and the cheaper. Hence, he
can drive great trades at a great proht.
Without money the banker is no monopo-
list, and the trader no speculator.
1t is even so with the farmer without
capital in manure. In fact, it is his only
capital. His farm is no more 10 him than
the banking building is to the banker and
the store to the merchant. Each must
make profit in proportion TO what is IN
vested The farm can return only what
il receives in manures for the next halt
century, and the returns will be proper
tionate 10 the manures invested therein.
IL the farmer does not invest literally IN
manures, he not only lessons his profit,
but he subtraets from tho value OF his
farm. That policy must 10 bad which
denies profit. and at the same time les
sens the value of property; yet this Is the
policy thaSiarmers have been pursuing.
When our land was first cleared. and
the soil was in It's virgin purity, II WAS
productive even without manure. What
is it now? IL will not produce good crops
without abundant dressing. Plow all the
cleared land in the oldest part OF Maine
and, without manures. attempt 10 grow
corn, wheat, barley, potatoes. and even
grass, and half the crop cannot be obtain
ed that was. when the land was first clear
cd, abating the benefit that was received
from the ashes made by burning the forest
wood.
This IL q serious consideration, and
should weigh heavily on the farmers
mind. This view demands the most Sc
rious consideration of farmers. Why il
this so -? The answer is simple and plain.
We have not returned to the soil what we
took from it. We have not dealt fairly
and honestly with our soil. We have
wronged-we have robbed IL; and, in
lobbing it. we have fooled ourselves! 1t
is an old and true adagc-"taSin% out
more than we return comes 10 the bot
tom" This adagc Is being verified in re
tanning. and not returning 10 the soil what
honestly belonged to it. We have cheat
ed our nearest relative. Old Mother Earth.
Those who cheat their nearest relatives
ought to be poor.
This loss in our soil has been gradual
say about one per cent. per annum-but
in 40 or 80 wears it has leSseued the pro
NUCNANC NsiIeANANN va b+A NNAA NiiN-AA~%4t-
Had we added one per cent 10 our soil,
instead OF subStracting thereirom, what
would have been the condition OF our
farms to-day? They would have improv-
ed fifty per cent. instead OF losing it, and
they would be worth thee times what
they now arc. This is plain mathema-
tics
This view ef the agriculture of Maine
is humbling and demands the most seri-
Gus consideration of the farmer We
find ours ell es somewhat in the condition
of the Western grain grower. who has
cropped his lands without even returning
the straw to the fields where grew the
grain. His niggaIdly policy has demon
slraied that there is a Withholding that
tendeih TO poverty; and he must pull up
stakes and seek new grain growing land
in the still farther West. Through our
own manure-wasting economy, we have
reached that condition where some Of our
farmers are cursing the soil and climate
OF Maine, denouncing il a ''rock bound,
ice. bound" State. Well. let US thank
Providence even for this. Our rocks and
ice may yet prove our salvation, IS we
can supply the world with monuments
and foundations. and can reirigerate the
raging fever OF the South
Farmers have cursed the soil OF Maine
by robbing il; and now turn round and
curse il with their lips-a most irreye-
rent maternal eursing. Poor mother
Earth cheated and doubly cursed by her
own offspring Ii is no wonder that she
should withhold her blessing.
What shall be done, under the present
adverse condition of agriculture, TO disa-
buSe mother earth that she may smile up
on US again and bestuw on US her ma.
ternal blessings Just act honestly and
return what is due with compound inter
est If we commence now 10 return just
what came from the soil we shall keep il
in It's present condition-nothing more OF
less We should not be satisfied with this
halt huSbandry. We should aim to bring
our soil back to its original productive
ness. Neither should VIC stop here aim
TO bring our soils up to the fertility of the
soils of the European countries.
"Can this be Accomplished" you ask.
Yes, why not? Maine was, and still is. as
rich in manurial resources, as other coun.
tries. While we Go not house our stock