The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-07-18
Deterioration Of Soil.

IF our farmers pursue system
which continually reduces the fertility
of the soil, the time must come in the
future when the decreased yield will
not support the increased population,
and distress and famine will be the re-
suit. That the productiveness of Il
large per cent. of our soil has been re-
duced, no one can deny. Perhaps ag-
ricultural statistics may not show this,
but in every township the intelligent
farmer can point to thousands Of acres
once fertile that will now scarcely pay
for cultivation. One reason why our
statistical tables are not a reliable in
dex, is that, so far in our history, in
the West, we have had virgin soil to
fall back upon, and as the old fields be-
came Improbable, we needed only to
remove the forest and avail ourselves
of the fertility stored up for centuries.
In many parts of the country the limit
is already reached in this direction, and
it soon surely will be in all. In view of
the fact that some fields are hopelessly
ruined and the fertility of others great,
ly reduced, the question may be
anxiously asked, What is the future to
bring fOrthP Is the earth to become
barren and the human family finally to
die of starvation? Did God make u
mistake in creating man and ordaiDing
that the race should multiply upon the
earth? cannot believe it. j. G.
Holland has written an article, the title
of which is Undeveloped Resources"
in which he speaks of the fact that just
as the whale fisheries became unprofit-
able, and it seemed certain that we
could not look much longer to this
source which had furnished oil to light
the world, another and unexpected
source of supply was found. He says:
"When the whales ceased spouting, the
earth took up the business, and Here
she blowsr and There she blows' was
heard among the hills of Pennsylva-
MIA" He further says: Sc cannot but
look upon this discovery of oil in the
earth as one of the most remarkable
and instructive revelations of the age.
1t has shown that when human neces-
sity demands anything of the world of
matter, the demand will be honored."
Ibelieve that the cause of barrenness
on part of our soils and loss of fertil-
ity on more of it, has been for the want
of intelligence in the tiller Of the soil.
When we understand fully the charac-
ter of the soil and realize the import
ance of preserving its fertility. and
make the preservation of it as much
an object to be attained as the produc-
ing of profitable crops, have no douo
that we can check the loss in this direc-
ton, and that our lands can be cult
waited for generations, not only with
out loss, but actually made better.
The causes of deterioration of our soil
are varied. The most apparent are
excessive cropping, and, on rolling
lands, the washing away Of the soil. In
connection with these plain and posi-
tive causes might be mentioned others
which have contributed to the same
end. Among them are: LIST. The alb
sence of any system of rotation. I'd.
On many farms the continual selling of
the crops instead of consuming them
on the farm. Sd. No pains are taken
to save, and no intelligence shown in
the application of such fertilizers as
can be produced on the farm. 4th.
Little if any attention is given to the
growing of crops for green manuring
or for prevention of washing; and 5th.
That during the open weather of win
ter and early spring, farm stock are al
lowed to roam over the fields tramping
the life out of the soil and wasting their
droppings, both liquid and solid.
/ believe the above to be the main
causes of deterioration of soils, and the
young man who begins life on the farm
with clear idea of both the positive
and negative forces at his command
for maintaining or increasing the fer
tility Of his soil, may spend a half GEN.
fury on q farm and leave it to his heirs
in better condition than he found it,
Cor. Practical Farmer.