The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-01-02
RESULTS OF NATIONAL CON-
SERVATION COMMIS-
SION INQUIRY.
American Land At Least Holding
Its Own and Under Systematic
Processes of Cultivation May Be
Improved ---- Recommendations
for the Future.

SOIL, II not gaining in fertility, is at
least holding its own. Under system.
attic processes of cultivation the plant
producing ingredients are being replen-
lshed as fast or faster than they are
being used up. This is encouraging
news and it is authentic, for it has
been brought out through the report of
the work conducted during the sum
mer and fall by the section of lands
OF the national conservation commits.
slon- The inventory which has been
taken of the country's natural re-
sources has demonstrated that the soil
OF the United States as whole is not
being impoverished. In most parts, if
not improving, it is maintaining it's
standard.
How to Better Soil
The problem which confronts the
conservation commission and the Amer
lean farmer, however, is not a mega
tive one; it is not how to keep the soil
from running down. 1t is how to build
it up. The report declares that the
agricultural lands of the United States
will soon be required to produce at
least twice as much as at present to
meet the nations demand for food.
Such an increase in crop production is
possible with proper methods.
There are in the United States prop
er, according to the report, trife less
than three million square miles of land
surface, of which a little more than
one fifth is under cultivation.
About quarter is covered with for
ests, and a smaller portion with woods,
young growth and cut-over land. With
the exception Of waste lands and rel
atively small amount of mineral lands,
all the rest is grazing land.
Cause of Low Yield
The present low average yield is in
some part due to careless farming, but
more generally to the fact that land is
cheap relatively to farm labor. The
highest yields per acre are found in
the older Northeastern states, where
land is relatively high in value, and in
the arid regions of the West, where
water, the essential, is scarce.
The soils are not, however, produc.
ing half what they should produce OF
what they will soon be required to pro.
duce, if we would avoid buying ou1
foods elsewhere in the future.
The amount of our farm crops is also
increasing much more slowly than ou1
population. An increase in yield pei
acre is therefore imperative. In that
matter we are far behind Western Eu-
rope, and as our soils are at least equal
ly rich it becomes a matter of care in
the selection of seed, of fertilizing and
of cultivation.
Public Property Grants.
There are in the continental United
States 386, 873, 1877 acres of unappro-
priated and unreserved lands and al
most an equal amount in Alaska. In
the year ending June 80, 1908, there
were %, 635 entries, covering 4, 242, TIC
acres, a number which has been ex-
ceeded in only two years. It is evil
dent, therefore, that there is no pres
emit need to increase the size of hold
ings granted to each homesteader. The
public land laws, as they exist today,
do not furnish the necessary protection
to the peoples interests in the public
lands and changes are necessary.
The nation should hold in its own
possession and maintain in efficient
condition those areas which are less
valuable for agricultural use or home
making than for conserving unique
natural beauty and wonders, the water
supply and the timber.
Acres For Homemakers.
When the land itself. independent OF
the minerals under its surface, is more
valuable for agricultural use than fol
permanent dedication to public use, il
should be given to those who will actu-
rally make homes upon it.
An important factor in reducing the
crop yield is the losses due to injurious
animals and insects, especially the
latter. It is estimated that the losses
to livestock, grain, etc., due to injuri.
Gus mammals exceed one hundred mill.
ion dollars annually, most of which is
caused by wolves, rats and mice. The
damage by birds is comparatively
slight, and is far outweighed by Their
beneficent work in destroying noxious
insects. Most of these losses are pre-.
ventable.
There is tendency toward the mon.
onolization of farm lands, taken as q
whole, which in certain sections is
marked. notably in the states west OF
the Mississippi river.
Monopoly Is Charged.
Among all the mineral lands, and
particularly the iron lands, there is
tendency towards increase in holdings,
for economic reasons, while among
timber lands the progress toward mon
opoly is decided, largely for specula
tive purposes.
There are in this country some 3d..
600. 600, acres of swamp and overfowed
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