New-York tribune., 1909-09-06
SOILS NOT WORN OUT.
Agricultural Productivity IN United
States Not Decreasing.
[Erom The Tribune Rureau.l

WASHINGTON Sept s. The common impression
that the soils Of the United States wearing out
and that the crop yields the decrease is de-
clered to be erroneous by Professor Milton Whit
ney chief Of the Bureau of Soils. who has just
completed q thorough study Of the conditions
throughout the country. The results OF his invest
gation will be published in the next bulletin Of the
Department of Agriculture In summing up Pro-
fessor Whitney says.
"A careful study OF the data which have been
presented TO appears TO justify two conclusions
first, that the productivity Of the newer agricult
ulal soils OF the United States is not decreasing
Individual farming deteriorates and soils wear out
but whole. Il seems probable that we are now
producing more crops acre than formerly. This
is undoubtedly due to many factors. The cultiva-
ton Of the land has been intelligent the prin
ciple Of rotation of crops has been better observed
and, in latter years, a more careful use OF fer
tilizers has been made In addition we must rec
cEnize the increase in farm animals and stock the
Improvement in such by selection and breeding and
the increased population which is forcing attention
intensive methods Of cultivation
so far as our information goes. there is ap-
parently no significant difference al the present
time between the composition of the old agricult-
ural soils Of Europe and the newer agricultural
sells Of the United States with respect 70 potash,
phosphoric acid lime and nagnesia."
The statistics show that from 1867 10 1876 the
wheat yields in Wisconsin. Michigan Iowa. Illinois
Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri aver
aged 13I bushels an acre; from 1877 20 1856 l3
1897 70 1906. III bushels. IN Ohio. West Virginia
and Indiana tie wheat yields acre from 1857 10
1876 we're lis bushels: from 1877 TO 1856. 1873 bushels;
from 1897 TO 1895 124 bushels ard from 1897 10 1906
13I bushels In New Jersey. Pennsylvania, Della
ware and Maryland, from 1867 20 1876 the yield an
acre vas l27 bushels; from 1877 to 1856 12s bushels
from 1887 to 1850 bushels, and from 1897 1905.
i6I bushels. Fer Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina Georgia and Alabama the yield an acre
from 1857 10 1876 IL bushels: from 1877 1885.
SIS bushels: from 1857 10 1896 69 bushels and from
1897 to 1905, 81 bushels.
The bulletin will show a corresponding increase
in all cereal crops Throughout the United States
the last three or four decades
The wheat yield an acre in Russia from 1888
10 1875 according to the bulletin. varied several
bushels acre for instance, in 1888 it 49, in
1885 it 81; in 1884 il 1913 then 1897 there
was drop 10 - In 1904 the yield was IA: III
1905 "a
was 255 bushels, and in every year up 1906 there
was a constant increase, when il reached the
yield Of 3is bushels
IN Great Britain the yield OF wheat in 1854 was
&09 bushels an acre, and there was a slight varia-
ton Of increase up to 1906 which brought the
yield to 347 bushels.
The wheat yield Of Germany lS.2 bushels in
1883 with gradual increase 10 1906, bringing the
yield to 1913 bushels.
The bulletin gives the following averages b,y
states for the production Of wheat an acre from
1856 to 1897:
Vermont, lS5 bushels; Maine. 1876; New York l57
New Jersey lf5; Michigan l4.5. Pennsylvania 145
Ohio. al; Kansas 13.9 Wisconsin, 1871: Mime
sofa. 1876; Maryland, 1873; Illinois. 13.2 Nebraska
l21; Indiana, I5I; Delaware. i3.l; California 129
Iowa, 124; Missouri, l23; Texas ll5 West Vtr-
ein!a. l06: Montana. los Virginia. 81: Arkansas
SO; Tennessee So; Mississippi, 81: Alabama. &c;
Georgia -; North Carolina, 60; South Caro-
lima SIS.