Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-09-15


When we have all day watched the
cloud on the horizon with dread fore
bodings of the storm which would come
from it, the wind has changed and the
cloud has blown away from us, or else
melted into thin vapOr and not come
near us at all. How foolish, then, to
waste what might be happy hours in
looking for this or that trouble which
may never come, or, df it does arrive,
will perhaps, after all, prove to be
blessing! No trouble was ever lessened
by going to meet it half way; and if
we are sometimes to have it to bear, let
us not weary our souls and weaken
our wills by dreading it beforehand.
An interesting glimpse Of agricul-
tural conditions in Germany is given in
a recent report of Walter J. Hoffman,
United States consul at Mannheim, to
the State Department., Mr.. Hoffman
states that the value Of agricultural
land in his consular district is unusu-
ally high, the holdings per capita are
small, and the owners consequently are
compelled to plant only the most re-
munerative crops. The German farmer
is peIforce an intensive farmer, and
generally produces full crops. He must
utilize every means Of retaining or even
extending the arabic surface; as rule,
the farms are devoid of small under
growth, stumps, stones, creeping vines,
etc. In draining and irrigating the
Co. n addition
this the German Government is en-
deavoring, both by legislation and edu-
cation, to enable the farmer to COM
pete with his rivals. An interesting
illustration of the attempt to extend
the arabic surface is afforded by an I'M
dertaking at present in progress in the
valley of the Rhine, east Of the city Of
Mannheim. The valley is about TWEEN
ty miles wide at this point, the lower
or river terrace consisting Of agricul-
tural lands exceedingly rich in loan
and old river deposits, while two miles
east of the river the second terrace
rises to height of about forty feet,
most of which consists entirely Of fine
sand, covered at various places by
thin film of loam and now used for the
training of pines. There are several
miles of this artificial forest, beyond 1t
being better soil and ordinary farm
lands used for raising wheat, oats, po-
tatoeS and carrots. The reclamation Of
the land covered by this sand terrace Is
now in progress, the removal of the
sand having been begun last spring.
Specially constructed dredges are used,
and the material is transported by cars
over a temporary track. About six
acres had been exposed ON June /. The
top crust of loan has been carefully re-
moved from the sand terrace and car
ried down to the newly exposed sur
face of sterile river gravel to form new
acreage, being there distributed and
having a depth of about six or eight
inches. Over a great portion of this
new surface young cabbage plants are
growing, and other crops will be start
ed as rapidly as the loam is deposited
and leveled. This illustration IS but
one among many showing the rigid
economy necessary in the thickly pop
ulated countries of Europe. 1t is in
striking contrast to the advantages
which the American farmer enjoys,
and at the same time contains lesson
for him. In America it is only Of late
years that intensive farming has been
thought Of or practiced. Our acres
have been plentiful, land has been
cheap, large farms have been the rule,
and single crops, raised without rota-
ton until the soil has become exhaust
ed. have constituted the scope of the
farmers endeavor. The American
farmer has not been required to econ
eomize In the quantity of his land or to
shnsA6ua Its strength, as farther west
were~l iAfons 0fsacres Of public land
awaiting settlement Conditions are
cha angling, however, and rapidly. The
necessity for economy Is pressing more
closely upon the farmer. An increas-
ing amount of thought and attention
Is being devoted to intensive farming
to the utilization of every foot Of avail
able land, to the diversification of
crops, to the culture Of the soil, and so
forth. Eventually the American farm
er must approximate to, European
methods, as an increasing population
creates new demands UPON the soil. In
the use of machinery and in the raising
Of large crops the American farmer is
the worlds tutor, but, on the other
hand, the small farmer Of overcrowded
Europe teaches the American many a
lesson in the ways Of extracting
maximum of product from a minimum
of area.