The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1911-06-23
By THOMAS
6. HUDSON


In recent years it seemed as If provl
dence withheld its patronage of pros
perity from the tiller of the soil, and
the dller of the soil did everything
within his power to boost the depres-
sion. The farming methods formerly
In vogue, which are even now jealous
ly adhered to by many, would if per.
sisted In long enough impoverish
Croesus.
Before the war the country was
sparsely settled and virgin forest lands
were virtually crying for the man with
the hoe. AS rapidly as the wasteful
methods then in vogue had depleted
field of Its available plant food new
fields were cleared and the old, reject
ed fields allowed to grow up in forest.
Increasing population made a con-
tinuance of this practice impossible.
The lands once taken in were now an
nually lacerated with "Boy-Dixie,"
irritated with some GUIANA" and the
cotton seed, which until within recent
years represented no specific CONNER
cial value, were returned to the soil.
These methods of "all going off and
nothing coming back" naturally de-
prived the soil of its available nitro
gen, potash, phosphoric acid and other
essential plant foods, but the almost
systematic efforts Of soil destruction
did not stop at that. The corn and cot
ton stalks could not be buried by the
lightweight mule or pony and was
therefore often burned. Science dis
covered the high food value of the cot
tonseed products, and soon the seed
were too valuable to be returned to
the fields. Nor did the farmer think to
reimburse the soil for the plant food
thus withdrawn.
Outraged nature aided the confagra-
ton.
Rains washed the humus (decaylng
vegetable matter) out of the soil AS
a result the soil would no longer re-
tain sufficient percentage Of mois-
ture, and the crops suffered from
drought, and that in country where
the average rainfall is In excess OF
fifty inches annually. The surface
soil, no longer protected by growing
vegetation, took annual excursions
from the red hills of Georgia toward
the gulf and the Atlantic, never to re-
turn, embraced by the showers that
were not welcome. At least no effort
had been made to induce the moisture
to remain by proper preparation of
the soil.
Naturally the profits on farming OPP
erations under such methods were not
very satisfactory. To make both ends
meet expenditures had to be reduced
to a minimum both in farming opera
lions as we'll as In home comforts.
No wonder the sturdy, ambitious
youth should find too little induce
ment to pursue the vocation of his
parent, which offered so little return
for his labor. The natural climax OF
this wasteful mismanagement Of our
resources proved general exodus
from the farm to the cities, towns and
villages. The tiller of the soil, gener-
ally speaking, felt as If the world was
against him and completely lost sight
Of the fact that his prosperity lay in
the soil and that to prosper he must
learn to conserve and build up his
business asset-the soil.
Years upon years Of misn1anagement
had reduced crop productions to a
minimum and increased the cost Of
production to q maximum. At an age
when real estate values are soaring
sky high we still find farm lands be-
low their actual intrinsic value.
In a country where the average adult
farmer produces less than fourteen
bushels of corn to the acre two sons
of a share cropper produced 102 and
ninety-four bushels of corn respective
ly, while their father in an adjoining
field produced thirty-fve bushels. The
secret of their success lay in thorough
preparation of the soil, proper fertili-
cation, careful seed selection and prop
er cultivation. This feat was duplicat-
ed In various sections of the state
last year, many counties producing
more than 100 bushels Of corn on an
acre. In state where nearly every
acre of land that deserves to be cul-
tiyated will produce bale or more OF
cotton to the acre, statistics show that
we produce only about one bale to
every two and one-half acres. Surely
the fault is with US and our methods
and not with the soil. 1t Is true that
thousands of acres now under cultlva-
ton are not suited for crop production
and should be planted in permanent
pastures, the only method by which
such lands can be made to yield a
profit.
The question "What kind of pasture
must | sodP" can only be answered
after a careful survey Of local condi-
tions and a consideration of the aim
of the individual. Generally speak
ing Bermuda seems to ill the require
ment and conditions met with in Geor-
Ola. This may be supplemented by
Iespedeza Japanese clover, which Is
an extremely hardy plant and indigo
nous to the southern states, especially
the gulf states. II the soil is even
fairly good it will pay to supplement
the Bermuda pasture by sowing hairy
yetch and bur clever during the
month of September for winter crop.
II does not matter so much what you
plant; the main thing is to start some
thing growing that will stop the leach
ing of your soil. And then, to get re-
turn for your labor, "get live stock
cattle, mares to raise the mules that
your neighbor has to purchase every
| Health of the Child.
What shall it profit US to educate a
child If we wreck his health In doing
| ity THE child who does not learn TO