The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-28
IS THE EARTH WEARING OUT?
SIR WILLIAM CROOI<ES SAYS YES"
II. w. WILEY SAYS NO"

cordinE to the Distinguishes
President of the British AssOcin-
tion-At That Date the Immense
Increase of the worlds POpuln-
lion. He says, VIII Consume the
Maximum Production of Wheat
Copyrighted, 1898.
Washington. Nov. 25.-The latest recruits
to the ranks of jauudi-ei philosophers is
Sir William Crookes, the president OF the
British Association for the Advancement
OF Science In his presidential address, de-
iiVered lately at Bristol, he took the
ground that only wheat-eatng nations rep
resented the highest type of civilization,
and that the British nation in particular
being inferentially the greatest wheat
eater. presumably represented the highest
type. He further attempted to show that
in the course Of a very few years the
world would reach its maximum wheat
production about g. 600O0OOO bushels, be-
You'd which il would be most difficult to so.
Should the increase of population con-
tinue with unabated rapidly, it is evident
from the views of Sir William that begin
ming with about 1919 the wheat-eators will
brain and Drawn viii enter upon an era
of stasis, followed soon by an actual re-
PROGRESSION The distinguished position in
chemistry and physics which DR.. Crookes
occupies has given to his vaporous vatiei-
nations remarkable vogue. English
printed newspapers the world over have
given prominent place to his prophecies,
and people not familiar with the facts
have been thrown into the greatest pertur-
ha lions by fear OF impending starvation.
Unfortunately. Sir William Crookes, in
dealing with the food supply of the world,
has entered a field with which he is 20 a
certain extent unfamiliar, and therefore
his views are not entitled to the same
weight as if they had been expressed con-
corning the conditions Of radiant matter
of the four dimensions, or of teiepathic
intercourse
Woe Predicted by Sir William
Crooks.
Stated briefly, Sir Williams views are
as follows:
First That the maximum wheat prOduc-
ton of the world viii be reached in
few years. and that this maximum is only
about $3.50, O00,O 900 bushels.
Second. That the increase in population
Of the wheat-eating nations of the world
will be rapid enough to absorb the maxi
mum production of wheat in about 1913
Third. That it will not be possible, with
the acreage and natural fertilizers availa-
bic, to increase the wheat production be-
yond the Limit named.
Fourth That the chemist must supply
the fertilizing materials necessary to in
crease the capacity of the wheat fields to
meet the increase in population.
Fifth. That nitrogen is the one element
most essential to wheat growth.
Sixth That this will probably be secur-
ed by the production of nitric acid by cleo
trical action, and that the water power of
Niagara could be used for this purpose.
Earth Really Growing More Fertile.
The fallacies of Sir Williams state
ments are 50 patent that 1t is not neces-
sary to go into very great detail to show
them In the first place it may be men
toned that the earth's fertility IS not be
coming exhausted by the practice of scien-
tific agriculture.
on the other hand. 1t is easily demon
strated that the fields of the world which
are properly cultivated are growing con-
etantly in fertility. This increase has
come almost exclusively 'front.' practical
application of the results of the researches
which have been carried on by agricultural
chemists, and which have been worked out
in the agricultural experiment stations of
the world.
Chemical research has shown the rela-
ton of plant food in the soil to that which
is removed in the crop and has suggested
methods whereby the waste of plant food
can be largely prevented, and the stores
which have already been carried beyond
reach can be gradually restored to the
fields.
The agricultural experiment stations
of the United States and the scientific
divisions of the United States department
Of agriculture, although young in years,
have contributed no small share to the
elucidation of the problem of Increasing
the earths fertility
Remarkable Increase of Production
in France.
In the north of France, which is the
great wheat producing area of that coun-
try the average production of wheat per
acre has increased in the last twenty-five
years from seventeen 70 over twenty-siX
bushels Last summer in the north of
France I visited an experiment station and
was shown a variety of wheat which had
produced over eighty bushels per acre.
This remarkable result has been attained
by selecting from a prolific variety of
wheat, year after year the largest grains,
planting these and again selecting, until
variety has been established which gives
tne phenomenal yield mentioned above.
The state of Maryland, among the older
states of our union, has perhaps suffered
more in the past from unsciendfic farm
ing methods than almost any
other locality. SO impoverished
IS many cases have the soils
of Maryland become that At is regarded as
a proper place to avoid by all intending
investment in agricultural lands. Prince
C5aoree's county which borders on Wash
iugton. has perhaps suffered as much
as any other portion of the safe in this
regard. Fifteen years ago large portions
of the former arabic land in this county
had been abandoned for agricultural pur-
poses. on these very lands scientific agri-
culture has been able 10 produce prolific
crops. and the agricultural experiment
station Of Maryland is situated upon land
which years ago had been exhausted OF
fits fertility by the practice Of the agci-
cultural methods Of the early times. THIS
soil which was regarded as almost Wort n