The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1889-06-06
Aarir nltnrr.
TAs vaia. Of Fertility


uae 81 The moat sensible editorials on
the opening q. The ohiAhema lands the
seattle neui. And the M eensaered eager
nsss q Tho crowd. 10 God leagsmeni
there. u The following irota the American
Cnlhystori
What hss reeently happened In the Gala
homs district The wilA rush 10 get the
drsl entrance aad SECURE possession q The
best tarDipg laad ia nesly opened ter.
riiory, is perhaps the bes, evidence Of how
fertility is nov regarded. There are in
0klahoma none q The advantages Of eiyi
lizltion. All bnildings, sehoolhousos and
cities will have 10 be built up before they
can be enjoyed All there is TO arouse
saoh excitement is virgin soil, probably
no better than hundreds Of millions Of
acres were 10 the older States before being
cropped. aud ,h , too ia region Of too
little rainfall 10 summer 20 make good
farming conniry.
! What will the new settlers do with this
latest bit Of virgin soil when they obtain
possession Of III Probably they will do
as all farmers in all new states have al
ways done ard always will do. They
will proceed to the old work Of heavy
cropping and soil exhaustion, No attempt
will be made 10 farm With any regard TO
other than present profit The land has
been pastured, hut now il will be ploweo
and devoted to grain growing SO long IS
grain can be growing onlt After few
years the couairy will become an old set
tied region Grain crops will pay lese
than they used 10 do, and after q few
years OF Improbable farming the work
Of restoring lost fertility viii be re,um
ed.
We are not finding 'ault with this con.
dition Of things. II is the necessary re.
sui of circumstances, against which the
new settler finds 1t impossible to contend
The great mass of settlers in a new eoun.
try have no capital except their labor.
When they take up new land, ont OF II
must come their own living. together with
pay for bindings. fruit trees, farm tools
and stock. These are got by selling crops,
an d this means soil exhaustion. Blu, the
10 sson is as TO the impolicy Of putting
one 8 self under conditions where such re-
suits are inevitable. Farming in the old
er states has at last got on safer and
more conservative basis. BY keeping in
proved stock making as much manure as
possible. mud sowing a good deal OF
clover, the average OF soil fertility in
most OF the eastern and middle states is
Increasing
Without doubt some money will be
made, and quickly, by Oklahoma boomers;
but it will be mainly by those fortunate or
shrew d enough to locate on or near the
site OF future cities, not by the men who
intend TO work the land. Most OF the
b oomers understand this fact A farm
ella i'm is, however, Of value If nothing bet
tct enu bV hpt, butt no tuic, 10 w htcH'
We speak not from sectional prejudice
but from careful consideration of facts, in
saying that the improvement OF land in
the eastern and middle states is really
more hopeful experiment for profitable
farming than is its exhaustion either 10
Oklahoma or in any OF the western states.
With profitable system of croppiug, com
bined with good stock and liberal manur
ing, eastern lands may be made to con
stantly increase in fertility. and If this be
true such n course of farming cannot fail
to pay. Some of our best farming lands
have been made practically richer than
they ever were in the state OF nature
There is no re on why all may not be,
with good management and close follow
ing of the lines on which all successful
farming must now be run. What will not
these restored and improved farms be
worth, located in eastern states, and pos
sessng the advantages of near markets,
and all the -ults OF advanced civiliza
tion