The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-11-11
Exhaustion of the Soil

born but productive soil They and !
their children took ell they could get,
put little back again inio the soil. This
cannot be denied, while with all honor
we must regard them as the pioneers of
American agriculture. In the early his
tory Of this country our fathers found
great domain, and their urgent necessi-
ties calling for immediate action, they
selected the most prolific spots and be-
gan to gaow crops. Here were the
washings of the highlands gathered, and
localities like the Miami Valley, the re-
eeptacle of vegetable -deeaying matter for
centuries were TO be found through the
whole Atlantic slope. As. men began to
till the soil, and as they exhausted one
locality of ouch elements of Gods boun-
ty as were in condition, from their sol
utility, to act as food for plants. they
m owed to other places rather than prop
erly work or fertilize old ones They
were not the servitors of their grand
children, but. with vast country before
them, they chose to skim it; and, as
! they drove the Red Men westward, they
found new fields for planting, and they
skinned the land. Here the great mis-
take was made, that of oyerrunning the
soil to reap few good crops, which end
ed III impoverishing it, and this bad ex-
ample has extended to the present day.
Thus the Atlantic slope became a depict.
ed expanse, and unproG able under the
m odes of culture in practice.
There is no doubt that, in the main.
the system of exhaustion is yet carried
out Leibig, in his Familiar Letters Of
Chemistry, says:
"Is it possible, after so many decisive
Investigations into the original elements
of animals and vegetables, the use of the
alkalies, of lime, and phosphates, any
doubt can exist as to the principals upon
which rational agriculture depends
Can the art of agriculture be based upon
any thing but the restitution of dis
turbed equilibrium Can it be imagin-
ed that any country, however rich and
fertile, with a fourishing commerce,
which for centuries has exported its pro-
duce in the shape of grain and cattle, will
maintain its fertility, if the same COM
merce does not restore, in some form of
manure, those elements which have been
removed from the soil, and which cannot
be replaced by the atmosphere Must
not the same fate await every such cOun-
try which has actually befallen the once
prolific soil of Virginia, now in many
parts no longer atle to grow its staple
produotions-wheat and tobacco y
Again be says, in his Modern Agri
culture, Let it be remembered that in
Virginia there are vast tracts of land
winch at one time gave full crops of to
bacco, Indian corn and wheat, now lying
waste. The American farmer despoils
his field, without the least attempt ia
/ method in the process. When it cease:
to yield him sufficiently abundant crops
he simply quits it, and, with his seeds
= and plants, betakes himself to a fresf
field for there is plenty of good land t.
be had in America, and it would not b
worth his while to work the same felc
:, to absolute exhaustion
Thus it will be seen our agriculture il
!. a system of constant depletion-it ough
to be one of enriching an multiplying re
= sources, involving all the elements of th'
soil for the reproduction of its fruits.
Some enlightened agricultursts of the
Atlantic border have restored worn-ou
: lands, and made them prSauce so boun
tifu,ly that, in proportion 70 the capita
and labor bestowed, they make NOR
money, acre per acre, than many farm
\ ers do from the unezhausted virgin soil
. of the West.
. Our. wants are rapidly increasing Dis
. tricts, which thirty years ago gave al
= average of thirty bushels of wheat pc
: acre, do not give twelve bushels now
= Much is due to the ravages of insects
- but more is due to the exhaustion of tn
. soil Until we stop eating bread, thi
# subject viii not lose its interest. VIII.
should we not grow as large crops, an
a of as good quality, as can be grown
! Does any one think good wheat can D
grown on poor land2 Can the land Civ
a that which it has not
= The opinion th at the soil of the Yves
= cannot be exhausted. is a great mistake
See how the crops have fallen off 10 ma
nv localities Grain is carried to the CT
les, and the substances that made it ar
far away from its original source. Bu
: a small proportion of these elements ar
n sent back to the solL When things ar
N borrowed and used, they ought to be ser
~ home. In Natures economy nothing
to lost; bat when man displaces things, b
g. should put them back again, a wis
ID nation looks well to its agriculture, i
Is great source of wealth. England send
a her ships to bring home fertilizers 5
IS do we: yet it must be Femembere
s. that we are to no small extent vast
IN full and soil-exhausting people. We al
is but life tenants of it others will CON
lie after Us.
IF If one steals from another be is deem
er cd thief; bat which is the create
It thief, he Who steals another's purse, {