The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-12-10
ABANDONED FARMS
OF EASTERN STATES
Ought to Be Worth as Much as $500 an
Acre Instead of $40, Says DR.. Cyril
G. Hopkins In Address to Life
Insurance Presidents.

| iHSuidnCe fIeSluents.
New York, Dec, Declaring that the
abandoned farms of the eastern states
might well be worth $400 an acre, in.
stead of $50, DIR. Cyril G. Hopkins of the
University of Illinois to-day sounded a
note Of warning as to the need for per-
manent and scientific soil enrichment
Throughout the agricultural lands of the
United States-n the West ms well as
the East. lie strongly urged cooperation
to this end on the part of city people.
DIR. Hopkins made his plea before the
ninth annual convention of the Associa
ton of Life Insurance Presidents, which
is considering various problems involved
IN loaning life insurance funds on farm
mortgages. At present about $660,000,-
900 Of life insurance money is loaned on
farms, principally in the South and West.
"The most important and the most
neglected factor in American agriculture
lis that of soil enrichment" said DIR. Hop
kins. For three centuries the American
farmer has drawn the support of the
nation from the fertility contained in our
virgin soils, with widespread soil deple-
ton as a result. When the land became
too poor to raise a profitable crop by the
ordinary means of soil stimulation, the
American farmer has, as general rule,
allowed the farm to go back to nature
and he has either moved TO newer lands
or joined the increasing urban popula-
ton.
"The improvement of seed. the use of
tile drainage, the invention and general
adoption of labor saving machinery, the
development of cheap and rapid means
OF transportation, and the opening of the
worlds markets to our farm products. |
have all combined to make possible and
to encourage rapid deterioration of Amer
lean soils. Crop rotation is good farm
practice, but it makes possible more rap
i'd soil depletion because of the larger
crops produced where insect pests and 1
plant diseases are avoided by such rota
tion.
"The United States bureau of census
reports that the aggregate area OF i'm
proved farm land agrculturally aban-
Toned from 1880 to 1910 was o.s00.s34
,eres in New England New York, New
Jersey and Pennsylvania. If state like
should entirely stop farm
ng. the fact would be made known and
Emphasized the country over and the
world around. but, if another equal area i
4 improved farm land is to be agricul- /
urally abandoned it could be so selected \
s to stop farming in eight states, In
luding New Hampshire, Vermont. Mas
achusetts. Rhode Island, Connecticut, II
Dola Al - fa.. III
n Florida. Tn other words. the com. H
lined area of improved farm land found
\ these eight states in 1910 was less
han 0,s0o,s34 acres. III
Already the question Of food has be- | II
un TO exert pressure in this country II
'uring the last census decade our popu- !,
'tion increased by 81 per cent. the same II
! percentage but far greater in the abb II
'lute than during the preceding decade;
nj there was less than per cent in. :
ease in food cereals and no increase in
nod producing animals. by fve-year
verages, centered on 1900 and 1910. re- u
lectively, our average annual exporta =
ons decreased from 2l5.OOO,000 to l03.- y
10000 bushels Of wheat. from 1872. 100000 :.
} only 4s000.000 bushels OF corn, and "
ON 2.500O00.00O TO 800 900 900 pounds :
meat. in order that we might feed our
crease OF 100000 people.
THE only hope Of the future lics in
Ie application OF science and education
nd honesty to the control OF industry
ID agriculture, and let us understand
I'd never forget that agriculture is the
Isle support Of all industry and that
e fertility of the soil is the absolute
pport of every form of agriculture.
"The fertility Of the soil is well under
e control Of the farmer, II he is proyid-
with accurate information and with
e necessary capital TO enable him TO