Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-10-18
SOPHISTICATED FARMING.
BY f. S. Brigham. st. Adams.

BY f. S. Brigham, ST. Adams.
Prepared for the Vermont Commission
on the Conservation of Natural Re-
sources
Since animal life can be sustained di-
rectly or indirectly only by food pro-
ducej from the soil, it is fortunate for
the welfare of the race that agriculture
differs from the other so-called eXtrac-
tive industries in that by proper meth
DDS of fertilization and rotation of crops
the fertility and, therefore, the crop
producing power of the soil may not
only be maintained but may be In
creased, whereas the mine can come to
but one ultimate end, namely, eXhaus-
ton. AS evidence of this permanency or
the soil We may instance the example OF
China and Japan which are today pro-
ducing large crops on land That mas
been cultivated for more than three
thousand years. We may say, then, that
from the standpoint of the general well
fare any system of farming which does
not at least maintain the food produce
ing power of the soil is short sighted
farming.
1t is no exaggeration to say that the
greater part of the farming in this
country has been shortsighted farming.
The natural fertility of our SOIL the
sessed. and the policy OF the federal
government of parceling out the public
domain to settlers who would live upon
1t have tended to make us careless of
soil fertility. 1t mattered little to the
farmer If he exhausted his soil, If his
son could go West and get free of
charge 100 acres of virgin soil; and 1t
mattered little to the town If the soil
of it's countryside declined, so long as
it's food could be transported from
distance cheaper than 1t could be pro-
duced at home. The result of this pol
icy has been that our people have lived
lavishly on the bounty of a new land
taking no thought of the morrow until
now the price of food has increased to
such an extent that the high American
standard of living is threatened and
far-seeing public men point out the dan
ger of a food shortage II our popula-
ton keeps increasing at the present rate
The question now is, what are We
going to do about it? The answer US
ually given is more education for the
farmer" which is good so far as 1t goes
Good farming practice is based upon
certain laws of nature, with which man
must cooperate, since he cannot change
them Jugglery brings no reward IN
dealing with Dame Nature. AS profess
sor Carver APPLY expresses 1t, Neither
impudence, nor smooth tongue, nor
a distinguished manner, nor lurid rhet-
oric ever yet made an acre of land yield
a larger crop of grain; but they have
frequently made an office a sanctum, a
platform, and even pulpit yield larger
crop of dollars" Since success in farming
depends upon an understanding of these
laws 1t Is a good policy for the state
to make It easy for those vino so desire
to gain access to this knowledge. The
causes of soil exhaustion, the elements
of plant food which are likely to be-
come deficient In the soil, the means of
maintaining proper physical condition
of the soil 80 that its texture and its
water holding capacities may be pre-
served, should not only be taught in our
schools. but should be made accessible