Evening star., 1901-02-23

grazing nave passed and domeSticated an
mails must be fed i.by Intensive culture G
smaller areas where, Immensely create
quantities of cattle feed can be produce
than is furnished by the richest pastur
when kept closely cropped by continue
grazing.
Attention should be called to the fac
that green cattle foods can be preserved t
| state almost as valuable as at the tim
OF production by means of the silo = Larg
quantities of sugar and other nutrition
| FOODS are produced in the stalks of Indial
! corn and sorghum and other green forag
crops. IL these crops are cured or dried
al, or at least part,I of the sugar fer
| ments and is lost as food. Preserved il
! the silo, however, zthe fermentation is su
| pernclal and the greater part of this val
liable material is made available
| but even In the case of dried foods ther
| IS an immense waste of valuable matte
because these foods are not in a condition
Tor mastication and digestion. singl,
| instance Will suffice to illustrate this point
! ne arled stalks of Indian corn which
| nave long been regarded as nuisance IL
| our country contain large quantities O.
| valuable cattle food which is available i
| the Stalks be reduced by mechanical mean:
10 a nne state of subdivision. By the
| greater production of food stuffs on circum
-scriped areas and by the more perfect utili
zation OF the waste products, at least those
| wnlcn nave been considered so the number
VI uolnestlcated animals can be vastly In.
| creased and thus this source of food supply
| 10 hol likely soon to be exhausted.
Increased Production.
| In the second place, the product of the
helds by direct cultivation can be in
creased to an almost indefinite extent by
scientific cultivation and fertilization The
| great lessons which experimental agricul-
ture mas taught so far have been the util-
ity of good culture and the necessity of
proper 1ertllizatfon. The field must be fed
tuet lue same as the man or steer in order
90 secure its best results. Impoverished
nelds always show either ignorance on the
part of the farmer or inability to supnly
proper food for the soil, Agricultural
chemistry has pointed Out the sources of
sou exhaustion. 1t has shown what val
uable plant foods are removed by the crops
and how much of them is taken away by
rains and winds. Scientific agriculture
SHOWS the way to avoid these losses and
even TO restore exhausted fields to their
lormer state of fertility
Agricultural statistics show that tho
average yield of wheat per acre in the
Shlted states is little less than thirteen
pusheis, and that of Indian corn a little
Iss .Is iran tWenty-seven bushels. Already
@ .Le results OF the studies of the needs of
the SOIL and of the crop have led to the pro-
uuction OF not less than forty bushels of
wheat wheat per acre on fields which, without
proper treatment, yielded less than ten
Inc yield of Indian corn has been with but
sHsnt expense after the nature of the soil
mas peen understood, increased from thirtv
pusheis TO more than eighty bushels per
acre lnese are only Illustrations of what
the future. w A-1
Inc conservation of plant food and its
return 10 the soil is not only duty of the
farmer, put necessity of agriculture II
% 10 not necessary that the farmer should
create elements of soil fertility. He is only
asked to preserve that which nature has
given him and, If by improper methods
those elements have been removed from his
@ llelds. 10 see that they are restored and
preserved.
Value of Selection.
In the third place, the possibilities of ag-
rlculture in the future will show wiser
selection of localities in the production of
crops Heretofore agriculture has been, we
may say, of general nature. In the fu-
ture 1t Will be specialized. The facilities Of
have now become so great |
as TO demand that that product which is |
peculiarly suited to the soil and climate be |
produced and exchanged for other products
better suited to other localities
Ih1s does not mean that diversified farm |
ing should be given up, but it means that |
that diversity should be specialized. There |
is scarcely farm in the United States
which is complete without at least a few
fruit trees. but to grow peaches or apples
Tor the market in localities not suited there
to will only lead to bankruptcy. Where
fruits are to be produced for commercial
suited to their production. Thus the peach
)rchardS, apple orchards and pear orchards
of the country will gradually be collected
nto areas where soil and climate are most |
Dropltious. The same remark may be ap-
)l1ed to the production of cereals of all
Sinds and to small fruits and vegetables.
General Principle.
VI course, proximity to large cities and
afse markets alters to a certain extent
atural conditions, for in that case the
proximity of the field has much to do with
he profit of the farm. There are hun
reds of localities in the United States as
veil or better suited to the production of
egeta bleS than the farms of Long Island
r the sandy fields of New Jersey, but be-
ause these farms are near large markets
is found extremely profitable to produce |
pom them a great variety of food products
tut aside from these local conditions the |
eneral principle holds true that the great
taple products of the country will be pro-
uced more. and more in circumscribed
reas. Particularly is this true Of sugar,
-hich is one of the prime articles of hu-
IAN food. The sugar beet is particularly
ffected by soil and climate, and therefore
s successful production will be confined
areas specially suited to it, 1t has been
)und that, rule irrigated lands of the
rid regions are well suited to the produce
on of beets of high content Of sugar.
nd 1t is more than likely that the near !
lture will see a large portion of the sugar
onsumed in the United States produced r
pom lands which are now untitled for lack '
water. r
To sum up the subject, it may be said in >
gard to the possibilities of American agrt- :
llture that the scientific farmer of the f,1- | =
re will be ready to meet all demands .
hich may be made upon him by increased 9 9
,pulation and multiplication of industries | y