The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1906-09-27

lie lands have almost disappeared.
Our one resource. looking At human
lily as something more than h e
creature of a day, is the productivity
of the soil. The reckless distribution
OF the public land its division among
all the greedy who choose to ask for
II, the appropriation of large areas for
grazing, have absorbed much OF the
national heritage. Only One-half OF
the land In private ownership IL
now titled. That tillage does not pro-
duce one-half of what the land might
be made To yield without losing an
atom OF its fertility. Yet the waste
of our treasure has proceeded so far
that the actual value OF the soil for
productive purpose has deteriorated
more than Il should have done in five
centuries OF use.
On the new lands OF the west, where
once the wheat yield was from twenty
to thirty bushels an acre, Il Is now
from twelve TO eighteen. Frankly and
without shame this is attributed TO
the wearing out of the soil. as II the
destroyed by the wearing II the
earth were a garment that must be
earth. the mother of humanity, is 20
wear out. what Is to become of the
race? The fact is that soils. proper
ly treated, maintain their productive
ness indefinitely under cultivation.
The further fact Is that. with the dis
appearance of pestilence and the dis
continuance of war that belong to
the future, all contributing to the
growth OF population, the productive
capacity OF the soil must be sustained
at its highest poirs or the world suf-
fer.
The single intelligent advance on
practical lines made by public author
lily within the last twenty-five years
Is the reclamation law. Initiated and
inspired and paid for by a few west
ern railway companies. II provides for
real addition TO the source OF food
supply and the opportunity for employ
ment. But II Is only a light breeze
blowing In the face of a cyclone. IL
every project contemplated as feasible
were executed and IL all were complet-
ed instantly by the rub of magic
lamp, some sixty million acres would
be added to the arabic national
domain. And IL only forty acres Of
this we're assigned to each family, II
would supply the needs OF the actual
addition TO population by natural in
crease and by immigration, for less
than three years.
NtlAdin u Is lHdl the llDlc has come
for setting our household In order and
creating serious study of national
activity and economy according to a
truer insight and more rational mood
The first step is to realize our de-
pendence on the cultivation of the
soil The next will be to concentrate
popular interest and invention and
hope upon the neglected occupation.
We are still clinging to the skirts OF
a civilization born OF great cities. We
at this moment use a slang which
calls the stupid man "a farmer"
Genius has Stunned the farm and ex-
pended Itself upon mechanical appll-
anees and commerce and the manifold
activities whose favorable reactions
filter back slowly to the plot of
ground upon which stand solidly the
real master OF himself and of his de-
stiny. II we comprehend our problem
Alright all this will change and a larg-
er comprehension of agriculture as on
main resource and our most dignifieu
and Independent occupation will for
the future direct to their Just aim In
the Improvement of methods and the
increase OF yield the wisdom and the
science and the willing labor of the
millions, who thus may transmit to
posterity an unimpaired inheritance.
tContinued Next Week.