The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-03

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Personalities OF AGRICULTURE.
The Forum for August contains an
article on "The Possibilities of Agricult-
ure," by Prince Kropotkin, which, al
though it has less pressing application
IN this land of plenty than in populous
Europe, will be read with interest by
everyone who has considered the posi-
bilities Of the overcrowding Of the
earth's population in the future. The
prince is practical observer and inves-
tigator, not visionary theorist, and his
conclusions are drawn from carefully
collected and accurate data. He asserts
a. result of his Investigations that the
world is on the eve OF great agricultur-
al revolution, that the farmer is the
coming man and that we are about to
enter upon a reign Of plenty. BY the
general application of improved agri-
cultural methods already in use he esti-
mates that the portion of the earth al
ready under cultivation can be made to
sustain ten times as many people as are
now alive with better food and at lower
cost. He cites the development of the
possibilities Of the soil in France under
intelligent and economical methods to
sustain his argument. While the farm
era OF America, England, Germany
and Russia are contending that
wheat-growing does not pay, the French
peasants; on lands that are both poor
and high priced, have steadily extended
the area Of their wheat fields and in
creased the yield of each acre four-fold.
The increase in the crops in the last
century has been two and one-half
times greater than the ratio Of increase
Of population, and that under condi-
tions most unfavorable to the farmer,
such as war, military service and high
taxes. Thirty years ago a French
farmer considered twenty-five bushels
to the acre fair crop on ordinary land
I now he expects an average of thirty
three bushels from the same land, and
on the best soils the yield runs from
.forty-three to eighty bushels to the
acre. In Hesse the average for thu
whole country is thirty-seven bushels to
tho acre. The carefully gathered stats
tics Of France show that by combining .
series of such simple operations as the
selection Of seeds, sowing in rows, and
proper manuring, the crops can be in
'o1reased by at least rs per cent over thu
!, best average, while the cost of produc
zion can be reduced by SO per cent By
V the use of some inexpensive machinery
10 say nothing Of costly machines lik'
= the steam digger, or the pulverizel
Which makes the soil required for eacl
special culture.
i. The most remarkable agricultural de
1elopment, however, is seen in the dis
.trict OF Saffelare, part Of East Elan
!. ders, which has light sandy, easily cul
tivated, but not naturally fertile sol
q sOf this district Prince Kropotkin says:
Its territory of 81, 900 acres has to nourisl
af8O, 900 inhabitants, all living by agriculture
and yet these peasants not only grow thei
own food, but they also export agriculture
sproduce, and pay rents to the amount Q
a. 2rom Is to Is dollars per acre. BY mean
spnf ''catch crops'' (second crops in the late
part Of the summer) they succeed in takin
Iethree and four crops every two years frol
The same land; and their regular crops a,
tour, five and six times as large as those {
:. ,;Ahe fertile lands of Georgia, Texas and Hi
Aois. Moreover, they keep in the same SINAI
90 area-two- thirds of which is under cereal
III FAX and potatoes-no less than 1917:
horned cattle. $500 sheep, 1874 horses an
$3.50 swine. population which is dense
than that of England proper, inclusive {
its citi,s. is thus no curse at all. It is easi
i fed-aA< could be fed much better we're
not for the ever-increasinR rents-upon 4
unproductive soil, simply improved
rational manuring.
And yet. if we compare the Snfelare GRO
with those which are obtained with hea,
manuring, We mus, say that the agricultu
of Flanders is still IN its infancy. Inste;
of - tons of beet root. Mr.. Champion,
Whitley, England, and very many
France. will obtain from II TO 10 tons
beets from eack acre. NJ. Golf art will gre
for Il consecutive years, on the same pl
4 Of land, nm average of 40 tons of green TO
der for ensilaRe-that is, the food of
least four oows-and, with proper care,
occasionally will obtain as much as l5o to
from the acre. And Mr.. Hallett by a 81,
y Pile selection of grains, will obtain in +,
years wheat which bears 10,640 grains
each stem grown from single seed; SO til
from seven to eight hundred of his ste,
Of wheat (which could be grown upon
score Of square yards) would give the yea,
supply of bread for full-grown person.
In the island of Jersey whose popul
ton averages two persons to each acl
or LOO to the square mile, he found t
farmers grew 10000 tons of early pot
toes every year, from which they av,
aged $500 per acre, besides growi
cereals and grass for cattle and keepi
profitable diaries. The average prod,
for the entire island is over $3.50 +
acre. The island Of Guernsey, which
devoted to market gardening, sho
still more remarkable retur
from it, soil. Here the system Of gro
ing early vegetables under glass-roo