The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1911-03-10
RECLAIM
THE Land
Only Way to Reduce Ex-
pense Of Living.
New Light on Soils is Hope
Of The coun-

High cost OF living is no doubt
due largely to the Abandonment Of
culture In the eastern states and
concentration of population in cities.
Men and women Of the EAST for a
generation have looked upon farm
life as not worth the candle and
imagined that living in the city and
working in mills, factories, stores and
offices was lying ON a bed of roses.
That the city is net bed Of roses
is evident, inazmuoh ais there now is
great big kick about the cost of living
and with all the cost there is a lack
OF the real smell of the roses and
the new-mown hay.
But what is to be done about 1t
Everyone can't live in the city and
make hats, coats and steel rails and
allow the fields to grow up in weeds
and brush. The East must either
go a thousand miles west or south
for their food products or go to
Canada of South America. Even
then it costs lot of money for
transportation and the problem is no
nearer solution.
Some so-called experts would Lead
the public to believe that the soil
of the eastern states is exhausted,
but sometimes even experts make mis-
takes. If they. did not, we would not
find mining interests now going over
their dumps to extract rich metals
which had been cast aside as worth
less. Some of the iron furnaces for
years dumped Stag in mudhcles, raw
ines and any old place to get rid of
it. Then they discovered they had
thrown away more metal than they
had taken from the ore. Now they ar
digging out the ravines ard the mud
holes and making money out of what
they had wasted
We are getting some new light on
soil and the question is asked: 'Is
there such a thing as eXhausting the
soil?" In other words," Can soil be-
come worthless by the growing of
orops?" ALI the leading governments
in the world are spending fabulous,
sums through their agricultural de-
partments to learn the secrets of soils
and they are learning much. While
they are working and experimenting
individuals are net idle. Five years
a Naw jersey farmer bought some
waste or sand land at $500 per acre.
The land had bad reputation, but
he thought he would give'tt chance.
After careful cultivation and appli-
cation of manure, he obtained a small
crop of corn. which about covered
the cost OF labor and manure, but
after repeated attempts to raise alfalfa
his patience was almost exhausted,
when we heard of the nitrogen bac-
terra through the agricultural de-
partment of New Jersey He had
heard of inoculation of the body
against smallpox, but had never heard
of incubation of the mother earth.
He decided, however, TO try anything
that would make his land grow some
thing, for he had faith in nature. in
the meantime he heard that there was
bacteriOlogist livingi in New Jersey,
conducting a laboratory for the Guilt
Vation of nitrogen bacteria. also an
experimental station for testing the
bacteria with various plannts. This
bacteriologlst was DR.. George carp
Thomas, of Bloomfield, New jersey. !
and it was he who showed nhe far
mer that under suitable conditions
sandy land could he made TO pro
duce as much alfalfa as land many |
times its value. After following the !
advice given and planting spning |
crop of inoculated Canadian field
peas and oats, to get green mannre, |
the land was lined and a good seed
bed prepared for the alfalfa. TWEEN
ty pounds of alfalfa seed were inOcu-
lated with nitrogen bacteria and
planted In August; notwithstanding |
protnacted dry spell shortly after
planting. the seed germinatHd, and
by the following November fine
heavy stand was obtained of from
21-2 to feet in height. rhOwing u
dark green color and with nodules
OF baetenla we'll Developed ON the
noots. DR. Earp-Thomas has been
busy for the past three years show
ing many farmers, possibilities in |
what Is known as poor or exhausted
soils. The u. s. Agricultural De-
partment neahzed some years ago
che vast Importance of using nitro-
gen bantenla in poor soils and tried
70 add the farmers by sonddpg out
eultures. but these cultures proved of
httle value. as they wore sent TO
rocton with the result that the BAG
terra died for the want of moisture.
rlfhar oovarnm aufs have made SINH |