Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1909-11-05

even 20 or 80 years hence. and begin to
take thought for the morrow"
Mr.. Hill then begins to explain the REM
edy, which he has already limited at. He
says:
Il have stated the national problem in
terms of wheat for the sake of clearness
it's solution admits of similar statement.
THE average wheat yield per acre in the
United States in 1907 was Ia bushels The
average for the last 10 years is 1888.
Germany an agricultural country al
most from the time of Tacitus, produces
27.6 bushels, an acre. Suppose the United
States produced 20 bushels, or double its
present showing. That would be nothing
extraordinary in view of what European
countries have done with inferior soils and
less favorable climates 1t would have
added 634 100000 bushels to our pro-
duct last year.
Here we perceive an answer to the ques-
ton that the future asks Here we see how
the 200, 100000 people of about the year
1850 are to be fed. Here we see where
the money will come from for our national
support. 1t must be earned by and paid to
the farmers of this country.
But that implies a Kind of agriculture
differing greatly from that which now pre-
walls. We cannot feed our future popula-
ton with our present methods. We must
improve and years of scientific investiga-
ton and practical experience have demon
strated how it may be done.
There is scarcely limit, at least none
has yet been reached by the most intensive
cultivation. to the value which an acre OF
ground may be made to produce. Right
methods of farming without which no az
ricultural country such as this can hope to
tn
ual poverty, are not complicated and are
within the reach of the most modest means.
They include study of soils and seeds,
so as to adapt the one to the other; di-
versificatiOn of industry including the cul-
| tivation of different crops and the raising
of live stock a careful rotation of crops,
so that the land will not be worn out by
successive years of single cropping intel
ligent fertilizing, by the system of rota-
ton. by cultivating leguminOus plants and,
above ALL by the economy and use of every
particle of fertiliZing material from stock
barns and yards: careful selection OF
grain used for seed and, first of all per-
haps in importance, the substitution OF the
! small farm, thoroughly TILED. for the large
/ farm, with its weeds, its neglected corners,
| its abused soil and its thin product. This
will make room for the new population whose
as an exporter of foodstuffs.
THE fruit farmer, the truck farmer,
every cultivator of the soil who has spe
cialized his work, has learned the value of
these simple principles. The problem is
how to impress it upon the 30,000,000 or
more such persons who live on the land
and till it,
Let us set the simple principles of the
new method out in order:
"First-The farmer must cultivate no
more land than he can till thoroughly.
With less labor he will get more results.
Official statistics show that the net profit
from one crop of 90 bushels of wheat to
the acre is as great as that from two OF
IS, after original cost of production has
been paid.
Second There must be rotation OF crops.
Ten years of single cropping VIII pretty
nearly wear out any but the richest soil.
A proper three or five year rotation OF crops
actually enriches the land.
"Third-There must be soil renovation
by fertiliZng and the best fertilizer is
provided by nature herself-barnyard ma
nure.
Every farmer can and should keep
some cattle, sheep and hogs on his place.
II is not in the nature Of things that man
on a wheat farm, working four or four and
half months year, can make as good
living for himself and family. or that he
will be as happy over it as if he worked a
reasonable portion of the whole IL months :;
as if he fed some cattle as If all his time
were employed. The farmer and his land
cannot prosper until stock raising becomes
an inseparable part of agriculture. The
natural increase Of animals. the butter and
milk, the stock sent to market-all add ma
terialy to the income of the farm. Still
more important is the fact that OF all for
age fed to live stock at least One-thrd in
cash value remains ON the land in the form
of manure that soon restores WORKOUT SOIL
to fertility and keeps good land from de-
teriorating. BY this system the farm may
be made and kept source of perpetual
wealth.
without difficulty, following approved
agricultural methods. the wheat average
of the United States can be raised from
1873 bushels per acre for the last III years
to the 20 bushels produced by the inferior
soil of Germany the 1873 of France, or the
1922 of the United Kingdom, to say moth
ing of the immensely greater yields than
this of all varieties of farm products IN
Belgium and the Netherlands. on the Island
of Jersey, and wherever intensive farming
has been followed.
THE value of our annual farm product
is now about $S.000.000.000. 1t might
easily be doubled When the forests are
| all cut down and the mines are nothing
but empty holes in the ground, the farm
lands of the country will remain capable
of renewing their bounty forever. But they
must have proper treatment. To provide
this. as matter of self-interest and OF
national safety, is the most imperative
present duty of our people"
i Come you're the Doctor