Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1906-10-18
Agriculture The True Source of Wealth.

provision of transportation, the un-
occupied lands of the United States,
has peculiarly fitted him to speak
suthoritativsly on the subject, that
the most serious economic question OF
the future will be to provide the food
supply ofthe 200, OOO,O 900 or more peo-
pie who will be seeking for homes and
work in the United States by the
time the present century has run half
its course In the course of an ad-
dress at the opening of the Annual
Agricultural Exposition of the Mime
sofa State Fair Association. Mr.. Hill
stated that no nation in history was
ever confronted with a more pressing
question than that of providing for
the so, 000,00 of additional popula.
ton which, within the next twenty
years, must be housed and given en-
ployment furthermore, he believes
that the one and only adequate re.
source before Us is the productivity Of
the soil. In solving the problem. the
first fact which must be brought is
that of our dependence upon the culti'
walton Of the soil for Mr.. Hill consid-
ers that agriculture, in the most intel.
ligent and comprehensive meaning of
the term, is something almost un.
known in the United States. The
government estimate OF the value of
all farm products last year was &c..
4l5, 100000 which, after it had been
discounted for high prices and cur
rent conditions, would be represented
by an average total Of about $4,000.
100000. Government statistics also
state that of the lands taken up in the
United States, a little less than one
half is under cultivation. Were the
other half utilized the output of the
soil would bepractically doubled, even
if no change were made in the present
methods Of cultivation. But by d.
recting surplus population, not, as
now, so largely into the cities, but to
the soil, and by the adoption Of the
more advanced methods of cultiva-
ton used elsewhere, the present min
imum yield would be so largely in.
creased, that We could add ten billion
or even fifteen billion dollars to the
national wealth.
The methods by which the yield Of
the soil could be increased are three,
AMI they are well known though but
little practioed. First is the rotation
of crops; which is 30 little followed
that the majority of our farmers have
been raising, year after year, the same
crops on the same land, until the soil
is all but exhausted. The second
method Of increasing the yield is the
liberal use of fertilizing material, and
the third and most interesting of all
is better tillage.
AS showing what intensive cultiva-
ton will do, japan is quoted as sup
porting 1000, 900 Of people on ten
thousand cultivated square miles,
aided by the food products obtained
from the sea; while market garden
er of Paris is quoted as declaring that
all food, animal and vegetable, re.
CURED for 100000 people Of two
great departments OF that city could
be grown by methods already in use
on the $3.50 square miles Of garden
surrounding the city.
What is needed Is return to con-
servative and economic methods,
readjuster of national ideas which will
place agriculture in the way forefront.
The present tendency to regard man
ufscture and trade as the only forms
of progressive activity, and the false
notion that riches can be built upon
these at the sacrifice Of the fundamen-
tai form of wealth production, must
give way TO a recognition Of the fact,
once 60 well understood, that the soil
is the foundation OF all wealth and
all prosperity. Acknowledgment Of
this principle will have the double
advantage Of vastly increasing the
agricultural output Of the country, and
at the same time Of checking that de-
plorable migration from the country
to the city. which has lowered the
percentage of agricultural labor to
the whole body Of persons engaged in
gainful occupations in the United
States from 44.3 in 1880 TO 35 z in
1900.
Young Womau af 70