The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-06-22

Commercial fertilizers viii supply the
demands of the plants Tor suitable food.
The right kind of fertilizer will be ap-
Piled. and the result viii be uniformly
helpful. The cost Of fertilizers will be
decreased. The tobacco grower must
needs give his plants potash. Today
the potash comes from German mines
and costs seven cents a pound. a new
way has been found TO obtain supply
from our granite mountains by the
simple process of grinding the rocks to
a powder to be sold at one and one
half cents a pound Granite-grow to-
baeco is q commercial success in Vir-
ginia fields today as it was scientific
success in the Department Of Agricul-
ture experiment stations two years
ago. Nitrogen is everywhere present
in the air, but until lately it was nee
essary to employ nitrate of soda as a
means of getting it into the soil if
there WASH t time to devote year TO
growing clover to be plowed under
The nitrate came from South America
and was expensive Now the waters of
Niagara move the wheels of the ma
chinerv which captures the nitrogen
from the air and inprisons it in cot
ton sacks to be sent out to the farmer
who needs it.
The ninety years are certain to re
veal other great economies, Of which
the average farmer of today does not
dream. There are probably 25,0o0,ooo
horses and mules in this country for
which there viii be no need in the good
year 1000. The cheaper and stronger
machine viii drive the horse and the
mule from the fields. This movement
is already beginning. The millions of
animals whose usefulness will have
ceased before 1000 now consume each
year the products of 100000 acres
of land If devoted to potatoes, this
land would yield three times the pres
ent total world crop. Under the most
advanced of modern conditions these
acres could be made to support fifty
million cows-enough to give a quart
of milk day to every one of the
3S5, 900, 900 people We viii have when
America is grown.
By the elimination of the horse and
the utilization of the swamp lands, the
farming acreage of the country can
be doubled without touching the for
ests or other idle lands of the country.
If but one-half of the land be counted
as available for farms, ninety years
hence there will be five acres for every
two persons in the country, something
more than FIVE times what the Chinese
have now.
There are indications that the de-
mand upon the farms viii change in
character. While the American people
are not likely to become strict vege-
tarians within the space of ninety
years, they probably viii eat much less
meat in proportion to population than
thew now consume Medical science
and economy viii unite to bring about
changed conditions on this line. It
has been demonstrated that for every
bit of animal food eaten there is al
vegetable counterpart. Vegetarian
races have a capacity for endurance
which equals, if it does not surpass,
that of the meat eaters. The eeono-
mist will urge that the tlost notion
expended in growing cattle for food be
We eat porterhouse steaks at TWEEN
.y-f1ve cents a pound when we might
buy beans at four cents a pound, and
there is more nutrition in the pound
IF beans than in the pound Of beef
It requires four years to grow a single
good beef steer. Under the most favor
able conditions it requires the products
IF six acres of land for one summer
20 make him ready for the block.
When prepared for the table his flesh
viii furnish a single meal for about
500 persons. The same six acres Of
ground would have grown enough
3eans TO feed $4,000 people one meal.
And the bean-eaters would have de-
lived more strength and nourfshment
from their food than the beef eaters.
The mathematical theories Of the
economist are never realized in actual
ife, and never will be, but there is
10 doubt that the American people in
he coming ninety years will learn 10
save much that now goes TO waste. |
rhe housewives of the American farm
brow away more cooked food each |
rear than is consumed by their sisters |
If Russia Who has not sat at the |
BOARD OF a farmer upon which was
leaped enough food for a company of |
soldiers? Such wanton waste as that |
will be stopped.
Another great saving that IS coming
will be brought about by better knowI- |