The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-09-09
CONSERVETHESO|L
Farmers Urged to Study by
Secretary of Agriculture.
CONFERENCE ADDRESS TO-DAY.
Cabinet Member, In ST. Paul Speech
Calls Attention of Need Of Methods
of TiIins Which Will Not Rob
Soil of Nation.

st. Paul, Sept. I'm his address to.
day at the national conservation con.
gress James Wilson, secretary of agri.
culture, said:
The most important feature of farm
conservation is the soil. The farmer
prospers while the soil responds to his
work and yields good crops; he ceases
to do well when the soil refuses to
respond to his labor.
The people Of the older nations take
care of soil fertility as a matter of
prime necessity and long ago ascertain
ed the proper succession of crops, their
relation to the soil and the feeding of
man and animals. They knew the
soil must be fed and the proper phys
ical conditions to maintain and learned
from experience how to do It,
During the short history of our coun-
try we have had new soils to draw
upon when exhaustion resulted from
the robbing process, and much Of the
nations prosperity Is the equivalent of
what the soil has lost. Our people
have been well fed, and until recently
they have been cheaply fed. This has
been due In part no doubt to the occu-
pancy Of land easily obtalnable as soon
as the older refused to yield abundant
ly and Is one of the prime causes of
farm desertiOn that are now attracting
so much attention
The federal government is expending
large sums to irrigate more laud, which
is wise, but the amount of water i'm
pounded is small compared with the
volume that flows to waste In a re-
cent visit to the mountain states saw
that the most advanced localities are
every year making more reservoirs to
hold winter and spring flows of waters
that go free of mans restraint to the
ocean. The nation, the states and pri-
vate enterprises have ample fields in
which to work toward greater crop
production in this direction.
The department of agriculture, in
obedience to congressional require
ment, rs exploring similar lands that
exist under similar conditions through
out the old world. Some success Is
being had. A wheat from Africa and
Asia gives us 100000 bushels a year
from the high lying light rainfall
states; a grass and alfalfa from Tur-
kestan, alfalfas, clovers and vetches
from Siberia, oats from northern Swe-
den, millets from the orient, sorghum
from Africa, are samples Of what are
being found by our explorers that
thrive on our highlands Of the west.
At thirteen stations in seven states
we have parties of scientists studying
methods of plant management on our
dry lands. If our growth in population
is to continue we must look to the soil
and conserve moisture, which is the
transportation system of the plant
We furnish nitrogenOus mill feeds TO
thrifty foreigners who know their
value to feed their cattle to make
meats and dairy products and keep up
the fertility Of their soils. These
should be fed on the farms that grow
the grain from which they are made.
4NtN ldllhS are nOl W Dt ndtl lOI lllt
asking in the thirty inch rainfall dis
tricts of the country. If we are to
prosper as a people we must give close
attention to our soils and conserve their
fertility by all the means in our power
Something is being done to increase
the volume of our crops in all sections
of our country. The cattle fever tick
of the south has prevented the prof
liable production of beef in that sec
tiOn of our country. Congress has pro
vided for the determination of the
pest, which is being done; 10000
square miles is now free from 1t. This
will bring into active production With
in Il few years all of the southern
'tates, Pastures will be prepared, the
prime element in system of rotation
of crops; cottonseed meal will be fed
where it is produced, and southern
fields will become much more produc-
tive, helping to feed our growing pop
ulatiOn, while more cotton will be
grown on fewer acres.