New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-17
HE RURAL MENACE.
Continued from First Page.

ment OF yielding thirty 10 forty ouShels 10 INC
acre Twenty-Five TO thirty bushels OF the white
variety of oats to the IS being raised In the
state The same land in other states Is producing
sixty bushels to the acre.
Tic coil Of the agricultural regions Of tn, state
will Under proper care. produce three-fourths OF
Il ton of red clover to the acre tram corn 10 NJ
successful as a crop In the state but silage corn
IS The Irish potato crop for 1896 in the state
averaged IS to 100 bushels TO the acre me lanu
Is capable of producing 200 10 $40 ouS ts $3.50
acre. Baldwin, Northern spy ana tne r|iiOuo
Greening apples can be raised to advantage IN tHe
state with careful attention and expert knoWIeGse
These crops are produced by the plan OF special
fzation'' They can be produced to great al
vantage and with the caro- and attention gwen 10
the same sort soil by farmers in other states ne
soil Of the New York farms Will douDie III n'o'N
the present yield.
Dairyng could be made great industry III ,He
state. The dairy farmer in New YORK nus per
mtted his neighbor in Canada To deprive MN %
the fruit OF one Of the most valuable features VI
dairy farning-that is cheese making Inc Caha-
dian dairyman is laily shipping into the New York
markets tons OF cheese This market could read
ily be supplied by the New Fork farmer Cheese
making is not easy vocation. but the Canauiall
has got II down to paying OASIS DO couiu 'ii0
New York farmer.
AS in cheese production so in every branch OF
the farming industry of New York Besides ADOPT
ing means for getting tho Abandoned ana P"' t'e,S
abandoned farms rehabilitated tho state and tho
national government should teach the FARMER 10
get his business down TO a scientific basis
Mr.. Carr has invited f. T. Dawter, OF the New
York State Department of Agriculture. TO accom-
pany him on his tour through the farming ds'rcts
Illustrated lectures the present condition OF the
farmer OF the state. comparing 1t with what 1t
and what It IS capable OF being. inc
subjects Of these lectures will be crop Adapta-
ten and Soil Management
During the trip Mr.. Carr will select one farmer
IN each school district-the farmer to supply IL
farm OF from five to ten acres-who will agree to
till the soil according TO the instruction or oe-
partment expert and to plant the crops which the
expert deems best adapted to the land. IheIe arr
approxima tely 100000 of farm land In the
in which the demonstration will be made.
SECRETARY WILSON ON THE SITUATION.
In speaking OF the deplorable condition of the
farms Of New York Secretary Wilson has said;
For twenty years there has been unprece-
derted falling Off OF farm population ana iarth
values I'm New York New England states gen
orally show a largo decrease in both wealth and
population in the agricultural regions In the same
period but It remains for New York State TO de-
velop the largest shortage. This was In the race
q increase in both wealth and population III
every other section OF the country.
The situation in New York became go alarming TO
the department that l decided that something
should be done 20 check any further decrease In
either wealth population so had the bureau OF
soils detail some OF the best exports to make an
Investigation into the causes OF this great reduc-
tion IN wealth and population
To my qualification II discovered that the
cause was not any deterioration OF the SOIL but
the migration Of the country population years ago
10 the and the West and the lack OF any ac-
ton on the part OF the state looking to the rec
Iamaton Of the abandoned and depopu!ated agri-
cultural territory.
The investigation discovered the fact that the soil
of the region has undergone deterioration, but
on the contrary in better state OF Fertilization
than ever. The soil Is capable Of producing sue
cessNllly n great many crops for both home and
foreign markets. and the department will do all
within It's power to rebuild tho farming districts
Experimental stations and farming schools are
good institutions but think the plan of the bureau
OF soils 20 make lecture tour and 10 establish
object lessons by selecting farmer in every
school district In the agricultural belt who Will
follow the Instructions OF the bureau VII! prove
highly beneficial. While the department Will do all
II TO rehRbilitate the farms / think the state
should take immediate steps at least 10 cooperate
| with .
! New York. The South has made rapid and perma-
nent gains I'm agriculture. while New York. tho
| Empire State. not only has made no progress but
| has d,teriornted. In farm wealth New York has
lost millions OF dollars and OF thousands OF
population. while the South. In the sos devas-
tated area has gained millions wealth and tens
OF thousands III population In her agricultural sec
| lions. go,
the exception the bottom LANDS of the South. the
coil OF New York farming districts is just as FER
tile for certain paying crops that of the south
| and In a number OF Instances far moro so think
the cause OF the difference lies in lack OF state aid
| in New York, contrasted with the cooperation
| and encouragement given by the southern govern
| ments to their farmers.
| had a wo organized agricultural department. ana
has spent thousands OF dollars to upbuild the tar's
Particularly is this true of Virginia. North caro-
| lima South Carolina. Georgia and Alabama. Census
| figures tell the story better than can
LABOR PROBLEM a HANDICAP.
| The labor problem Is regarded as II serious
| handicap TO the upbuilding Of the farms of
| New York. but the South is experiencing the
| same trouble, perhaps IN a more acute way. In
| p recent article on farming Professor Whitney.
| OF the bureau of soils. says:
| Cna of the most important methods of reclaim
| tho anandoned and exhausted lands is In the spe-
ciaI,zation OF crops. by this do not mean the eN
| elusive growing Of crop without regard 10 al
40 TYoAO
| ortic1lar crop or crops which the land is best
| adapted and specialization in that particular IN
| dustry. ,., 49,, 49,,
gardening industry which has reclaimed vast areas
| 81 land In the Atlantic States. Twenty-Five oil
thirty years ago the sandy soils along the Auant'
| Coat were worth about 81 or 81 % an acre
| I remember we'll when they were "pI'.i q, ~
| r,ora than this BY the introduction or the truck
| crons-that Is the growing OF vegetables Tor oui
| carly markets-those lands have risen IN vaiue uhu
now they are the most valuable soils IN those st,e
selling anywhere from SO TO $50 an acre accoFuVls
| - their location with regard to the water. free-
dom from frost. and in regard to the marAe'S ant
I transportation facilities. lido oao.
and nrst will discuss the cause OF the deteriora
ton and abandonment OF lands IN Ne" Ehs''i'N
| about which so much has been said.
"o 90 nv as I am aware there is no evidence &c
shnyy that the New England soils have any less
| ,,Iont food than they had when nrst cultivated
~ Go IN saw so far as the chemical analysis
| ebows they have all of the essential ihsreuiohu
| FOR crop production l do not mean 10 say. now
| over that the soils in as high state or cuiu
| ,.a,top as they were because l do not think tina
Sc universally the case; but the exhaustion OF So
as II Is usually considered has not cohtriouted e
any great extent TO the present cohulIoh vi tn'
ocricuI,ural lands of New England. II would b'
imnossibe with the record we nave or eastern
countries TO believe that in two hundred years
80 eo,is could be so impoverished by the actua
withdrawal of plant food by the crops as 10 MAKE
| them markedly deficient in that material.
II seems to me perfectly evident that the condi
t,ops which have contributed In any marked wa!
~ the depreciation of land values in New Englan'