The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-02-04
PRODUCTION OF FOOD.
The Possibilities of Soil Cultivation Illus
trsted By Authentic Figures.

The Possibilities of Soil Cultivation Illus
trated By Authentic Figures
A distinguished savant and social
reformer, Prince Krapotkine. has been
recently pointing out possibilities OF
soil cultivation and production which
should calm those who have fears OF
over-production of excess of con-
sumers over possibilities of supply;
who even, sometimes. question the
wisdom of efforts to save and prolong
life, and who pronounce war on a large
scale to be one of the necessary and
effectual among the preventive checks
opposed by Providence against the
otherwise inevitable overgrowth of
population beyond the means of sub
sistence. As an illustration of the
productive capacity of the earth under
proper treatment, the Prince gives a
number of instances borrowed from the
experience of market gardeners in the
country districts around Paris, where
the soil, even in the hands of relatively
ignorant men, has been utilized so as
to be enormously productive. He re-
fers TO one farm of 2.7 acres in extent,
l25 tons OF market vegetables of all
kinds. The farmer in this case-and
he is but a sample of his class-haS
found out a part OF the secrets OF
nature. and. as consequence,
has his little farm constantly
in productive condition from
January 1 to December 81. He and
other market gardeners around Paris
make their soil, and Prince Krapot-
kline says it does not in the least mat
ter what the soil is fro;a which they
originally start, for n French market
gardener would in two years time raise
an abundance of vegetable products
from an asphalt pavement as a founda-
ton. He goes on to speak of one
French gardener. who has covered
Owe a half acre tract of ground with
a glass roof, and has run steam pipes.
supplied by a small steam boiler, at
intervals under the ground thus shell
tered. As result, he has been able
for ten months out of every year to cut
from 1000 to 1,2O0 large punches OF
asparagus; that is. the productive ca
pacity of this land has been increased
more than hundred fold. Even this
result has been surpassed by an English
gardener. who has entered into the
cultivation of mushrooms. Prince
KrapOtkine maintains that. even at
the present time, with their only par
tally instructive methods. the French
gardeners could easily raise enough,
both in animals and vegetables, to
supply all that would be needed for the
sustenance and projections of life at
the rate of 1000 human beings to
the square mile; or, in other words,
under a method of intense and proper
ly directed culture, it will be easy for
the State of Massachusetts to sustain
within her own borders a population
of not less than 5000, 900 human
beings. and this, be it remembered. is
but the beginning. for no one knows
the limit TO set upon the productive
capacity of the soil. Taking his state
ment as basis. it is easy to see that
assertions concerning the present con-
gestion of population refer rather to
the lack of knowledge on the part OF
mankind. or to vicious laws restrict
ing the distribution of land, than to
what might be- termed natural obsta-
cles. Great Britain and Ireland have,
by the last official estimates. popula-
ton of S7.OOO.00O souls; but, on the
basis of sustenance given by Prince
Krapotkine. the land area in the
United Kingdom, throwing out one
sixth rs mountainous and hence I'M
suited to agriculture. ought to be able
to support. without Importation from
abroad. quite 100, 00O.0 human be-
ings; on similar estimate, the United
States has the natural resources
needed to sustain a population of fully
5000, 600. 900, or twice the present
population of the world. Medical
Times.