The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-13

The most interesting point made public through the report of the Worn conducted during the summer and fall by the Section of Lands of the Netio- nal Conservation Commission. or which Senator Nelson is chairman. and which was made public dNring the past week. is that the inventory Of natural rs, sources has demonstrated that the soil of the United States as a whole is not falling of. but rather is in most parts of the country if not actually gaining. at least agricultural lands will soon be required to produce at least twice as much as they do at present in order such an increase inc in crop production Is possible with proper methods.
 There are in the United States pre- per so sS the ousgs rsp0r niie. ros of land surface of which little more than one-ffth Is under cultivation. About 8 quarter is covered with for- woods. young growth and cut-over land. With the exception of waste lands and relatively small amount or mineral lands. all the rest is graains
 Some of the most significant facts brought out were the following:
 Ths sS by of tha the yela S'sa of srops acre. ave not losing their fertility. Taking the country as g whoie, nine out of ten counties are eitnes on s aolalns Eaan. ing in fertility. This matter. one of the first In importance to the country. has been thoroughly studied from above statement is made with conf- dence. Those parts of the country which are tossing in fertility are main the farmers are drwing from the ori. xinal fertility Of the soil and are not replacing it with fertilizers or prac- ticing the method of rotation ,, Of crops , Eest in the States of Mississippi: Lou isiana Texas. Arkansas, and oklaho- ma. etc. the western States of the per cent of all such lands in the caun-
 The present low average yield is in some part due to careless farming. but more generally to the fact that land is cheap relative to farm labor. Ths highest yields per acre are found in land Is relatively high iu value. and i'd the arid regions of the West where water. the essential Is scaree.
 The "l: are sat not ,6sH prodnce or what Chey will soon be required te produce if we would avoid buying our foods elsewhere in the future. Tho ing much more slowly than the popu- lation and can never be more than twice as great as at present. while shall probably have three times as many people to feed as now. The a. mount of our farm crops Is also fn- creasing much more slowly than our population. An increase in yield per acre Is therefore imperative. In the matter we are far behind western Flu rope. and aR our soils are at least eau ally rich it becomes a matter of care in the Eeiection of seed. of fertitizfng. and of cultivation.
 Public Landa.
 There are in the Continental United States 3S6.S73,787 acres of unappropri- ated and unreserved lands and almost an equal amount in Alaska. Tn the year ending June 30, 190S there were 19.e3s entries. covering 4,242, 71O.59 acres, q number which has been cx- ceeded ip only two years It is evil dent, therefore. that there is no pre- ings granted to each homesteader. as has been recently urged. since the de- sire to secure a homestead of 16O acres Is still strong< enough to inc crease rather than to diminish the average number of entries per year.
 The public land laws as they exist today, do not furnish the necessary protection to the peoples interests in the public lands. Changes are neces- sary not only because the present laws are not suited to existing copdi- lions, but also partly because these laws. as originally drawn, contemplat- ed conditions and needs which have been greatly modified, both by changed conditions of the country and by vari- ous decisions of the land department and of the courts.
 The nation should hold in it's own