Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-04-09

taken from the soil OF that State an
nually in the production OF its crops.
while only l,05l tons OF phosphoric
acid and 65 tons ofpotash are supplied
TO tho soil by all the commercial fer
tilizers sold in that State. There can
be no doubt Of the result OF that sort
OF drainage when kept up for long
series OF years. The productive power
OF the soil will be seriously impaired,
and this is no doubt an important fac
tor in causing the remarkable shrink
age in the yield per acre in lndlana's
crops. The draft upon the soil OF llli-
nois is equal TO $4,000 tons of potash
and phosphoric acid per year, and
supply, through commercial fertiliz-
crs. it is, in fact, Insignificant Ma
ture will not be cheated in this way,
and we can not expect the soil TO res
pond with continued harvest II it Is
to be subjected to constant robbery.
Taking money out OF the soil and put
ting 1t into banks may make rich
fathers. but II will make poor farms
and poor sons. A little judicious fer
tilizing. with scientific fertilizers, even
though at great expense. would con-
vince men that the best bank OF deposit
for q farmer is his farm. Tile drain
age has demonstrated that fact, and
intelligent iertilizing will corroborate
the experience But greater than the
drainage upon the resources OF the
soil Is the effect OF the tenant system
upon the productlveness OF farm
lands. Close. economic farming
will never be done under n landlord
and tenant system. The best results
nre only secured by small landowners,
tilling their own soil. This is fully
shown by comparison OF the En-
glish with the French system OF agri-
culture. In Grent Britain the great
body OF agriculturists are renters
There are but 100000 owners OF real
estate in Great Britain. A very large
number Of these are urban and not
rural holders. The yield per acre in
France under the petite culture"
system is almost double that OF En-
gland under the tenant system. Any
thing. therefore, that tends to develop
tenant land system conduces to de-
crease in the productivcness OF the
soil. Three principal agencies operate
to develop the landlord and tenant
system in this country. The most po-
tent OF these are those commercial
agencies by which prices us received
by the farmer are SO reduced that
farming ceases to pay, as shown above
by statistics OF prices. Added to this
Is the ravages OF insects, which year
after year devastate more or less the
farmers crops In most localities, add
ing to his Encouragement and SUPER
inducing an abandonment Of the busi-
ness. The average loss to the farmers
from insects for the last seven years
has been $500 100000 per year. with
out counting the loss from fruit and
grain blasts resulting from fungoid
diseases. Then there is tendency,
inside from any considerations OF profit
pecuniarily. in our civilization to edu-
cate the boy in the rural districts ouI
OF his surroundings and away from his
natural occupation. to make him dis
satisfied with his environments. and
to induce him and his sisters to pre-
vail upon the father TO sell the farm
and move to the city. or move to the
city and rent the farm. Among the
most important economic problems oi
to-day is the fact OF the steadily in
creasing migration of young people
from the rural districts to the cities.
The decrease OF rural population
means an increase in size OF farms,
and not only the census but all later
statistics go to show that the number
OF large farms are rapidly increasing.
Below are the census figures upon that
point:
Iaeredss
Farms under 100 acres .e.07S, S3s 2s ss7e II
| Over 10 and under 800. s65,05i l.0espS8 ss
| Over 800 and under i,00J lsiO 90 90
| Over 1000 acres =. .... 89D $500 81
The invention OF gang-plows, double
cultivators, twine-b binders and steam
thrashers has made it possible for one
man TO tend a great many acres ol
land. The application of machinery
to farming has made big farming pos
sible, not small farming profitable,
easy and attractive, rs 1t should have
done. The tenant who formerly rent
cd forty acres now rents 160, or more
II he can get IT, The improvements
have expanded the area OF the cult
vator, but lessons the yield per acre
by this very diffusion Of energy. Ten
ant farming has the same result us the
employment OF wage-laborers in fac
tories, careless waste OF material, tota
absence OF interest In the welfare o
the permanent Investments aside from
what can be gotten out OF them for the
time being. Tenants never manure
farms except under protest, and only
when it must be done to realize The
years crop for themselves. There II
never II systematic endeavor 20 enricl
or replenish the soil. They can not b'
blamed particularlyfor this, as the rent
al rates are usually more than ought t
be charged for the land. and leave LITTLE
70 encourage the renter. As II rule
renters are very poor and can not afford
to spare time for any thing that does
not yield immediate returns. The
evidence OF this poverty among th'
tenantry OF Illinois is unmlstakable.
Nearly all of the chattel mortgages
outside few cities are given by ten
ant farmers Men reduced 10 sucl
financial straits do not put the care
and attention upon the land which tn
best and greatest possible yield de
mands. especially when this laud is no
thc!r own
Y This system of cultivation is, how
ever, enormously on the increase il
Illinois, and. indeed, all the States
The owners Of the soil could not, will
all our improved machinery. cultivat'
one-half fit, To cite single county
Il a T. \ . i Il - Il.