The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-02-22
FARMING OLD SOILS.
Lessons In Crop Rotation From the
Japanese.

The island Of Guernsey, situated of
the coast OF France, is said to be about
the size of half of one of our Maine
towns cut in two cornerways, which
would give it about 1000 acres. Upon
this land live 100000 people, and they
don't live by the Guernsey cows either
They are engaged in farming, agricul-
ture and horticulture. They produce
early vegetables, flowers and fruit for
the London markets, writes w. T.
Haynes of Waterville, Me-, in the Amer
lean Cultivator. Greenhouses are in com
mon use, and the products of this little
piece of land cultivated by these peo-
pie sustain their own population of 40
600 and go to help feed the millions in
London.
The Japanese we think of as little
people living in country of beautiful
flowers. They We're farming the same
farms they farm to-day long before Co.
lembus discovered America Japan has
about 2l,000 square miles of land which
can be farmed. From this crops are
taken which feed nearly 50000000 peo-
pie something like 1900 to the square
mile are supported on that area. We
often hear it said that farm products
are to become so high in the markets
that the millions will soon be starving
to death. but if we could farm like
the japanese, the state of Iowa, which
is said to have $4,000 square miles
of land that can be far1ned. would be
able to sustain population-on the
basis of Japanese farming -of more5 than
l00,000,000 people, which is more than
the population of the entire United
States to-day We in Maine, with our
large area of over 81 $50 square miles,
even if only one third OF it or even one
sixth of ii could be devoted to the real
purposes Of arm land, would be capable
of sustaining population of over l0,-
00o.0c0 people.
The Japanese realize above all things
the value of crop rotations and Of green
manures. The government reports show
that about one-ffth of the farm lands
are annually planted to legume crops,
such as peas, beans and clover, which
are plowed in or turned under for the
benefit of the next crop. Nothing which
can supply plant food to the soil is
wasted by the Japanese. The custom,
as in this country, Of burning potato
stalks, and rs in the western country
of burning the eornstalks and straw,
is considered in Japan a criminal waste
They even gather weeds from the noun
tain sides to be used in manure All
these and other waste products are made
into compost heaps and carefully pro-
tected from loss by weathering under
sheds with tight roofs and tight floors,
where they are mixed and nodded to-
gether until in proper condition for
plant food. Quite contrast with the
eXtravagant practice with the manure
Of our state, which are thrown out into
the open weather and allowed to waste
by leeching and burning until practical
" useless. and then we read that the
state in 1910 spends over S4,500,000 for
We read, too, about orr land being
DID and worn out, and about abandoned
farms. and We have but to turn our eyes
to any country Of Europe or any of the
older sections of the globe to note the
of the proposition. If we
IAN accomplish what we have accom-
nlished. what might We not do and what !,
may we not do in the future, when our |
minds are turned upon the true econ
,mic conditions OF the greatest of all |
Industries?