Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-08-09
Worn-Out Lands.


in the North? Is it climate, soil or
shiftlessness -? E. H. B.
Reply: A third of century ago,
the method of farming in Ohio and
Indiana was to clear off the forest, cul.
tivate the land in corn, oats and wheat
as long as the four or FIVE inches turn.
ed by the pillow would yield paying
crops, then abandon it to the weeds
and such volunteer grasses as might be
able to establish themselves, calling it
worn>out," and clearing new. fields
for future cropping.
At that time tile drainage was prac>
tically unknown, and clover and grass.
es were seldom sown. Red.top and
sedges were the natural grasses of the
country, and Kentucky bluegrass,
which was occasionally found in small
patches on the drier lands, was looked
upon with suspicion. Large tracts of
land were in forest, and in these and
on the public roads were pastured the
herds of cattle and sheep, which were
almost altogether of the rough native"
stock.
Under this system Of management,
and grown, as they were, largely on
virgin soils, the average yield OF wheat
in the state of Ohio during the decade
of 185O-60, was 1913 bushels per acre,
and of corn 80. 43 bushels.
The next decade was the war period;
a time not calculated to stimulate per-
manent Improvements Of any sort.
Some further clearing was done, and a
limited amount of surface ditching, but
no tile draining of any consequence
until the latter part of the period.
During the decade the yield of wheat
was 1913 bushels, and Of corn 81
bushels.
The next decade was one of peace
and general prosperity, 1t opened, it
is true, with crash in financial cir.
Giles, but there was nothing to seriously
disturb the general feeling of security
in farm investments. Tile drains were
laid throughout the state to the aggre,
gate length of thousands of miles vast
improvements were made in farm ma.
chinery, both in tillage and harvesting
implements; the pillow was lowered two
or three inches, being now drawn quite
generally by teams of three heavy
Norman or Clydesdale horses, instead
of the pair of plugs" or light oxen
which made the pillow team of earlier
days; the barn-yard manure, which
was formerly too often regarded as an
incumbrance, was now carefully saved
and applied, and its volume augmented
by enactment of laws to prevent stock
running in the highways. The quality
of stock of all kinds was improved by
careful breeding, to greater extent
than in any similar period before. Tn.
der this arrangement, the "worn>out''
fields of thirty years ago have disap-
peared, and the portions of the states
geography they once occupied are
yearly covered with abundant har-
vests.
During this decade the yield Of
wheat increased to an average of 10. %
q bushels, and that of corn to 1852
bushels, these averages being for the
who'd decade in each instance, as
shown by the annual reports of the
Ohio State Board Of Agriculture, and
not for the census years alone.
Our correspondent has, no doubt,
read between the lines the answer we
would give to his query, Deeper
culture, better drainage, more careful
management of manures; these are
some of the factors to which Ohio ag.
riculture owes its progress during the
past years. There is still another fac
tor, however, which must be regarded
of great Importance; and that is the
culture of live stock, and especially of
sheep. The experience of centuries
has shown that the soil will not con,
tinue to yield abundant harvests unless
some of the materials carried away in
its crops be returned to it in the form
of manure, or unless it be recuperated
by allowing it to lie in grass, But the
culturo nF orass involves the kenninr