The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1914-04-02
SOIL FERTILITY A MOST IMPORTANT
PROBLEM
MOST INTENSIVE CULTIVATION is
PRAcTIcED BY EUROPEANS
It's Application to Our Farms Would Make
Increased Profits Enough to Re-
build Panama Canal

The Japanese Farmer produces an av-
erage of 1876 to 41.3 bushels of wheat per
acre per annum and. on the same land.
AL to 361 bushels of sweet potatoes, not
withstanding that wheat is rather an
exhausting crop. The British farmer
produces an average of thirty bushels
ner acre, yearly. The German and the
French farmer each produces correspond
ing crop Yields to that of the British. The
American farm average is IA bushels of
wheat to the acre.
why this difference? Why should lands
filled for centuries produce so much more
than lands that have been yielding crops
on an average, taking the country at
large. of hardly more than one century,
The same thing could be shown in corn,
oats or any other crop generally raised.
~ objection is raised that wheat is not
a Florida crop.
We have previously spoken of seed
selection and scientific cultivation as fac
tors In the problem of bringing up our
crop yields to the standard of the GEN.
turies-old fields of other countries. Scien-
tific cultivation induces not merely bet
ter methods of working the soil, but al
so means of permanently enriching it.
The farmers of other lands could not
produce such yields if they merely
scratched the ground, put in seed and wait
ed to reap the harvest when 1t was ready,
after little cultivation. On the contra
nv. they take what the American farmer
would regard as most irksome pains to
bring up and preserve the fertility of the
soil. as when for instance, the British
farmer carts tons of clay to mix with his
sandy soil, the French farmer takes his
carefully prepared soil with him when he
removes to another farm, the Oriental
hushbandman saves every scrap that is
likely to add nitrogen, phosphorus or
potash, or humus to his land.
The combined crops of this country,
last year, it is estimated, We're worth
about ten billions of dollars. There
NAV be a million or so OF error IN
this estimate either way, but one million
is only one tenth of one per cent. Of a
billion. and the error. if there should be
one, is not important. An average IN
crease in the crops of this country OF
only one fourth an increase OF between
three and four bushels of wheat seven or
eight bushels of corn. or sixty TO 10
pounds of cotton, and so on, to the acre
in any year would mean an increase
in the wealth of the country for that year
NJ two and a half billions of dollars.
This would build another Panama canal
every two months, or six year, II we
wanted or had room for so many
would pay the cost of the compiete anu
perfect Improvement of the mississippi
river and the reclamation OF It's prpaa
and fertile valley in a few months ~
would about equal the net earnings OF
all the railroads in the country Ior
year. 1t would pay the expenses Oh
the entire educational system OF the u
nited States for that time.
This is a work which lies withih 'io
possibilities of the body OF Aiheiioan
farmers; a work which the Lever Asii
cultural Extension bill, which mas pass
ed both houses of the congress anu
now in conference, is Designer " a'u'
a work to which the National SOL
tility League, whose advisory poaro N
cludes some twenty three persons "ho
are leaders of industry or pupn'
renown, is devoted; to aid wnich esei'
AGRICULTURAL department, agricultural GU
lege, experiment station and farm ueln
onstration agent is contributing its :"
his quota. 1t is the work Of making es
cry acre of farm land in the Union plo
duce from one fourth to one nan iho' :,
not by means of increased LABOR pu' =,
Increased fertility. Every farmer cai,
contribute his share to th's ',,.s
participate in the stupenoou'
Florida Times-Union.