The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-08-01

would not increase your yield of wheat,
if that were all the soil lacked, and an
application of lime to soil which al
ready contained a sufficient supply
would result perhaps in larger crop
OF straw, but in no increase Of grain.
Many man looks with great satisfac-
ton upon his yield of thrifty wheat,
and attributes its superior growth to
generous application of some special
fertilizer, but finds at last that his har-
vest is principally straw. The trouble
is he is not sufficiently posted as to the
nature of the food required by his
wheat, and of tho exact nature of the
exhaustion of the soil. Even in New
England, where the production of wheat
was almost entirely given up at one
time, an intelligent system of fertiliz-
ing-the application Of book knowledge
to agriculture-has enabled the New
England farmer to produce very re-
spectacle crop of wheat. If such re-
suit is possible under such adverse cir
cumstances as those naturally existing
in New England, it should be sufficient
to teach us of the West a much needed
and practical lesson; for while we think
that we have made rapid strides in adj
vancement and are conducting our ag-
riculture according to highly intelli-
gent system--which indeed is largely
true-the fact that our wheat belt is
constantly moving westward still stares
us in the face. And it is absolutely
certain that unless we act more ration
ally and more intelligentfy than we have.
the time must come some time when
this country will cease to produce wheat.
AS matter of course if such time
should come, necessity will drive us to
the requirement of the knowledge nee
essary for the proper improvement of
the land, and having returned to it that
of which it has been SO recklessly ex-
hausted, wheat will again be produced.
But why wait for this possible emer-
gency? Why suffer the loss which
must necessarily attend such suicidal
policy? Why not begin now with our
present exhausted soils, and bring
them Immediately into a wheat-pro-
ducing condition, We speak of wheat
especially, because that crop seems to
be the particular one which we have
run wild upon, but the same blunder-
ing which has made it impossible to
profitably grow wheat in former wheat
producing sections, will finally make it
as impossible to protitably grow any
crop. Our naturally rich soils and the
great extent of our territory make it
almost impossible for us to realize such
a thing. The average American thinks
his country is boundless in extent and
resources, but it is not; and the west
ward tendency of the wheat belt is evil
dence of the fact.
The fact is that the time is passed
when the idea that anybody can be
farmer should prevail. This idea has
made thousands of very poor farmers.
and has filled the professions with
thousands of very inferior members.
There are many miserable lawyers.
doctors and ministers, who would have
made capital farmers, but the idea that
education and farming were incompati-
BILE drove them from the farm, and
failure in life is the result. Thorough
education is necessary upon the farm,
and every new facility for imparting
education to farmers should be hailed
with joy.-Western Rural.