The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-12-18

6Dfs Not Wearing Out.
nzpsrts Of the Department Of Asri-
culture contend that there IL no
ground for the belief prevalent in
some quarters that American soils
are gradually wearing out. II
This great question Of soil fertility
has been occupying the attention of
agriculturists all over the country for
some time. and special study Of the
situation has boen made by direction
of Secretary Wilson. The Depart
ment Of Agriculture has prepared soil
maps OF Maryland and. other States
and the analysis Of these soils does
not bear out the contention that they
are wearing out.
"A great and fundamental problem
which has confronted our people,"
says Secretary Wilson in q statement
OF the situation. ''as IL has the people
of the world. II tho question Of the
psrmanency Of soil fertility. OF tate
pears, particularly. the idea has pre-
vailed that the soils Of various parts
Of the United States are wearing out
through loss OF mineral plant food,
and that q serious condition is thus
presented for the future of our peo-
PIE. So important and fundamental
10 this problem for the welfare Of our
people that directed a thorough OK
animation to be made of the whole
subject. and an exhaustive report has
been issued. from which certain i'm
portant conclusions can be given in
few words.
1T has been found from the rec
ords kept by our own department
that. on the average. crop yields per
acre have shown a decided tendency
to Increase during q period of 40
years. and that there Is no evidence
Of general decrease over large areas
or In any particular State, as In pop
ularly supposed. This indicates, un-
doubtedly. that on the average our
people are farming more intelligent
ly. and therefore more successfully,
and that We are. through these more
Intelligent methods. winning gradual
iy larger returns from the soil.
1T has been held. however, by
some writer's that even II the yields
are increasing the element Of danger
In that the larger crops remove larg-
or amounts Of plant food from the
soils and bring nearer the time when
the soils will eventually wear out. To
meet this argument 1t has been neces-
sary to extend the investigations into
older countries. and the records of
Europe have been searched for in
formation In regard to the past his
tory Of these older countries that can
DO taken as safe guide for the flu
ture OF the newer soils OF the United
states. These records indicate that
In the middle of the sixteenth GEN.
tury, or. roughly speaking. three to
four hundred years ago, the soils of
Central and Northern Europe were
producing on the average about as
much wheat per acre as tho soils Of
the United States are producing at
the present time. These European
soils have been occupied for agricul-
tural purposes for at least thousand
years. during most of which period
the country was more densely popu-
lated than the United States is at the
present time. So far as records are
obtainable. they indicate that as a re-
suit Of increasing population and
more intelligent methods Of soil oon-
troll. and In spite Of their longer oc-
cupation. the average yield per acre
has increased until In the case Of
Northern Europe the soils are now
producing about two or two and one
half times as much per acre as the
newer soils Of the United States are
producing"