The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-12-28
FARM AND PRESIDE.
THE EARTHs IN AGRICULTuRE.-B

THE EARTHS IN AGRICULTURE.-B. +.
johnson, of Illinois, translates the fol-
from a French Encyclopedia of
For a long time there has
been a Misrepresentation of the part
by the earths in agriculture. For
a long time it has been considered as an
inexhaustible source of agricultural pro-
duction. The fact is, the earthly machine
does not stop short for want of manur-
ing, as the steam engine does for want of
fuel. 1t continues to produce, but the
crop returns become 50 small that they
cease to pay the expenses of production.
The impoverishment and exhaustion of
the soil is the consumption of nations.
The countries lying along the shores
of the Mediterranean offer a striking
illustration of the truth of the PROPOSE
ton. The countries, the home of early
civilization, and formerly densely popu-
lated and covered by opulent cities, are
all more or less shorn of their ancient
spendor. If political revolutions; if
bad governments; if the invasion of
Islamism, were the only and true causes,
how explain the generality of the facts?
How explain, then, in the case of Sicily,
Spain, Provence and Lower Languedoc9
How, above all, explain the sole excep-
ton presented by m of these countries,
which, in spite of successive revolutions
and a brutal despotism, has continued
rich and p~opulous, to be the granary of
a part of Europe. 1 refer to Egypt.
1t is a strange but probable fact that
to Egypt is due that sterilization of the
countries above named, and others, which
| she herself has escaped. In her position
and character as the most advanced ma
ton of that part of the globe, Egypt, in
colonizing a large portion of the Medi-
~terranean coutries, carried thither her
arts, her customs, and, above all, her ag-
riculture, in appearance SO advanced for
that epoch. But the agriculture of
Egypt made no account of farm animals,
over and above the few needed for labor.
Though bounded by a narrow zone and
swarming with inhabitants, she paid no
attention to the production of manures,
or to fertilizing the soil. And for what
reason did she neglect these important
things in agriculture? Had she not her
Nile, whose periodical foundations were
an inexhaustible source of fertilizing ele.
ments? The agriculture of Egypt, then.
consisted in taking everything possible
from the soil and returning nothing.
This is the principle which she intro
duced with her colonies, upon both
shores of the Mediterranean Sea, and
which has prevailed over the whole south
of Europe; this is the principle, 1 re-
peat, to which is due the general decay
of these countries, nee so prosperous
ofthose ancient granaries of Rome, wher
the earth returned from one hundred t.
one hundred and fifty and two hundred
for one, but where to-day, with the bes
practice, she gives no more than five
four and even three /; a decrease of crol
yield from one hundred to four! Behold
the solution of the riddle, and the ex
PLANTATION of the slow but irresistible de
scending movement which has placed tn
ancient center of civilization and O
riches at a level so low?
JERSEY CATTLE.-The London Agr;
culture Gazette strikes the followin
hard blows at those who value color as
mark of pure blood.
If the value of Jersey stock is to res
on color, deterioration will surely folio,
of those useful qualities that are ia
r more noticeable in the good old-fashione
parti- cofored cow than that which wi
be found among the generality of fin,
! high-bred, whole-colored fawns, grays, Q
i foxy, so-called, Jerseys. have owne
e hundreds of acclimated Jersey stock, an
, have never, as a rule, found the Who'll,
colored such large producers as man
~parti-colored ones; in fact, by far tn
!. most butter-producing COW l ever Pr
t sessed was not only parti-colored, butt
e most ugly and ungainly beast of the l,
yet her stock have never failed to sho
their large butter-making qualities. III
true type of a Jersey COW is, in fact, a
g animal that will not make meat. 1
not say that this is not improved upc
by acclimatization and a slight introdu
! ton of a harder breed, of which a
termed Chichester Jersey are the be
description, neither do say that Jerse
breeders on the island itself have not
some instances a breed that shows a di
position to make some flesh, and vel
= probably may then be following up Il
requirements of fashion, yet l mainta
e that a pure Jersey should throw the bu
, of her feeding properties into butte
and with little to flesh. The par
= colored good cow may have but a viii
:. spot, especially under the belly, b
throughout the body the rich yellow SIX
=, under any colored hair, will be found
:. black, white, or fawn. 1 have seen t
~ commencement of a whole-colored her
:. the property of a noble duke, to obta
~ which have seen wealthy and large pl
- ducing COWS sold off to prevent
- animal remaining with the slightest sta
of other than one color.
r, Household Helps.
g. DRINK FOR THE SIcK.-Two teaspoc
D. fuls arrowroot in a quart pitcher, wi