The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-01-27

the only missing factor in the problem
of successful agriculture can be fur
nished by the Drawn and muscle of the
country, IF these facts are true we
must admit that the prospects OF the
future are inmeasurably great, and the
starvation so fippantly forecasted
may not be realized for many Eener-
| atoms.
| In the north it has been found. that
any soil that VIII produce a crop of
clover as its first effort (red clover or
alfalfa), can be made into a better and
| more easily cultivated soil than any
/ of the heavy clay lands Of the prairtes
| or river bottoms. and with these facts
! before us we have actually produced
on an acrs of land that had long been
| condemned as ''too poor TO grow white
beans" from one hundred to FIVE hun
dred bushels Of Irish potatoes and
other root and forage crops In pro-
portion. The cut-cver lands OF the
south far az seen are not inferior
TO those OF the north. Both are what
might be called Acid soils'', but this
difficulty may be easily removed by a
liberal application of lime or. what is
better ground rock phosphate sowrl
broadcast Immediately after the plow-
ing in OF the soiIing crop.
No one may doubt today, that with
the broad field OF cut-over lands al
hand for future exploitation. with in
teIIigent methods and energy we she'll |
be able to find food for many hundreds
OF millions Of peoples.
1t is not a little Illuminating to admit |
that the American agriculturists are
the most tmprovfdent, careless and !
indoient OF any of the semi civilized !
nations Of the earth. Possessed of an /
enormous store house. full Of ali the |
necessities and nxurtes Of life we have
been sQuandering them to all VINO |
called. actually giving the maway until |
we can begin 20 see the end Of re- |
sources. Few OF our farm ars have any
conception Of the real capability OF the |
soil they try to cultivate, and still less |
who, If they had the intelligence, would |
not act for lack of energy. Compared /
with the same class OF Europe we must |
take fourth or fifth place in the agri-
cultural ranks The Mu1ik farmer Of !!
the Don. the Dniester. the Dnipeper |
and Bug, Russia's most promising
wheat fields. without a spark Of edu- |
cationaI preparation. without the abn-
ty to read, IS a much more successful |
farmer than the average of the west |
ern continent and with but three de
saitines OF land eight acres with an
Irish spade and a wheel drill will give
more bread to the world than his /
American brother has ever done from
forty acres.
The immense field lying between the
Cuff and the mountain range to the |
north, once the floor Of the oceas with
q few islands or towheads, is in the
not distant future to become the most
promising field for agricultural and
horticultural exploits of the nation.
Cotton fs stin King, but your meth
DDS OF producing 1t must be improved.
There is no reason why the southern |
cotton grower should be content with !
half d bale or less to the acre when !
the product, under intensive methods
may be two OF three bales. There's no
reason why the corn grower should be
content with twenty-five TO forty
bushels when intelligent husbandry
and a little more hard work will bring
the product up to a hundred. Inten-
sive farming does not mean the use of
a larger quality of commercial fertiI-
izers, but a scientific upbuild OF the
soil you TIL by adding, each year as
mucll OF the required pIa0t foods as
your last crou has removed and these
additions snculd consist mainly OF
plants which Uey be
grown 4nd turned under while your
land is resting
The subject is one Of toe much i'm
portance 80 be exhausted it one news
paper article when volumes are re-
quired by the expert.
,