The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-31
BACK TO THE SOIL
AND IND BACK TOR0ME
The Go West Theory Has Been
Exploded All Around and
Everywhere.
RENAISSANCE IN AGRICULTURE
Recognized Authority Describes
Movement for Development
Of Soil Resources.
RENAISSANCE IN AGRICULTURE

nations welfare, Howard Fl. Gross.
president of the National Soil Fertll-
sty League. has submitted u PROPOSE
ton, supported by II number OF the
representative men of the country,
that appeals to widespread interest. y
recent review of the situation and pos
aibtlitics by Mr.. Gross describes coh-
6tons that bring forcibly the COM
parison between European and Ameri-
can methods and natural RESOURCES.
Fifty years ago" says SIr. Gross,
with tens of millions OF acres OF fer
ttle land unoccupied the need was for
people to come i'll and possess II. Pop
Ilauon was needed. or at least that
was the supposition. The Invitation
Eaid that 'Unclo Sam wns rich enough
to give us all farm Tho people came
In from abroad, first in hundreds, later
pS thousands and IN recent years by
many hundreds OF thousands The
steamship and the stork havo 80 chang
sd conditions that the land is now
practically oil taken and in use The
government spent It's time for years
In giving away land and building up
manufacturing industries and helping
co build the railways. Farming has
always been and always will be the
worlds greatest industry. It is so
with us. but American farming was
left practically to care for Itself
There was plenty OF land, and II Gas
was inevitable under tho practice that
obtained Of farming by the 'skinning
proccsso. certain folds or farms
should lose the power TO produce sat
tsfactory crops. why the remedy was
TO sell them for what they would
bring, or abandon Thorn and go farther
West and get bctter farm for little
or nothing. This practice In two or
three generations exhausted immenee
acres right at the very door OF the
markets.
Change of tho Order.
Tho 'trcck' wac to the west
ward, the slogan OF the great Greeley
was. Go West, young man. and grow
up with the country To-day VIC may
fairly say to the man In the West. Go
East, young man. and buy these aban-
doned farms and bring thom back to
fertility and usefulness. Tho land in
the West IL practically all occupied,
We must face about and stop depicting
tho soil and robblnS the tuxure of It's
heritage and build up the damage
that has already been done. While the
great Miesies!ppi Basin will always
hold first place In agriculture, 1t is
in the writer's opinion. all things con-
sidercd. that tho opportunities offered
In tho East and Southeast are. from a
financial standpoint more attractive
to the young and the ambitious farmer
The worn. depleted farmo that lie
close to the markets, can be had for
little more than the cost OF the inn
provcments, and In them are golden
opportunities for young or middle
aged mon with brains and industry. BY
improved tllage. better seed. crop ro-
tation and fertilization. In a few
years these farms will respond with
substantial yields. and may be made
TO grow better from year to year
1t takes no prophet to see in these
lands at SIS to $50 an aero IN Increase
OF 900 per cent to 500 per cont. within
ten or dozen years.
Tho two contributing causes for
this advancement will be scientific ag-
riculture and good roads.
we. OF course. are proud or our
wonderful achievements in the realm
OF transportation, mandatory and
education. but in doing 80. let us not
forget that under and sustaining all
B the soil--that all We are and hope
to be has como and must come almost
wholly from It
The worlds greatest need, the most
pressing and the paramount economic
problem. is soil restoration and the
building UP OF a system of farming
that shall soon and permanently dou.
BILE the yield. This can be done There
IS no doubt about It. 1t must be done
81 tho coming generations are TO have
Ptopot iooo supply dL Il IedSOndDle
cost Without this the future holds
Z distress and disintegrauon instead Of
prosperity and progress.
Figures That Telk.
Some figures taken from official
SOURCES wall be interesting in this
connection. The average wheat Yield
for tho United States for ten years ia
little over fourteen bushels per acre.
while in Europe. upon lands that were
our sod was turned, the wheat aver
ages are twenty-eight bushels in Ger.
many; thirty-two. in England: forty,
IN Denmark. 1t Is not uncommon to
have yields OF sixty bushels or more
In France and Italy. Why? Simply
because OF better preparation Of the
seed bed, more perfect drainage, more
careful seed selection. deep filling and
fertilization.
About twenty-five years ago Ger
many began system to further build
up her agriculture. and since that
ume she has raised the average yield
on the six principle crops of about 50
per cent 1t Is now fully twice our
average.
THE United States Experiment sta
ton at Wooster, Ohio. cultivated
wheat Systematically for thirteen
years-many varieties. The lowest
yield was twenty-six bushels per acre
and the highest over forty-fve, with
I'm. average of about thirty llvc bushels
The corn average for the whole coun-
try was about twenty-five and one.half
bushels per acre, while the Expert
ment stations are getting about 100
bushels
James j. Hill, of St Paul, and viii.
liam c. Brown, of New York both au-
thorities OF the first rank, say that
with proper preparation Of tho seed
bed, using the best seed and more in
tclligent cultivation, the farm yield
can be doubled. and all this with very
little extra work or expense
"a doubling of tho yield will more
than double the profits even II prices
should somewhat sag. With hungry
world abroad and an enormously
growing population at home, there Is
no danger 1yhateYer Of Recommendations