The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-11
ORIENTALS AHEAD OF AMERI-
CANS.

The basis Of agriculture is control
Of moisture. soil drainage and irriga-
ton in connection with proper soil
content and tillage.
Lime is probably the chief factor of
soil content. and II Is one Of the most
valuable chemicals. properly used, that
the agriculturist has.
Organic matter OF the soil Is con-
trolled by supplying green manures
and crop residues, including ashes and
stock manure.
Tillage includes deep cultivation and
s~ubsoiling. thorough preparation and
level culture. The Chinese and Jap
anese cultivate whole mountain sides
with level cultivation, while the Amer
lean farmer accepts and cultivates
every field at its natural slope. Mulch
ing Is the final stroke in tillage. and
In this American farmers are centu-
ries behind the Oriental countries.
The final touch OF fertility is sup
piled To the soil by the addition as re-
uuired Of phosphorus, sulphur. nitro
gen and potassium.
In this connection it may be well to
" ''' w
scientists and agriculturists.
Potash Is absolutely essential in tho
production Of farm and garden crops.
and without IL farm land quickly he
comes exhausted" As illustration of
this there are many farms in New
England. New York and New Jersey
that can be bought for a few dollars
an acre. This Is not guess, as the writer
knows Of farms within six miles of
good sized cities that IAN he had as
low as $50 an acre. many at SIS to
$50, while properly cultivated these
lands will pay good interest on a val
uation Of $1,000 an acre and more.
They can he brought up into fertility
at a comparatively nominal cost. Now
this is a condition In the United States.
a new country and a young nation.
What then, may We ask, is to happen
a few centuries hence?
The authorities of the various Gov
eminent and State agricultural de-
partments and the agricultural press
tell us that potash Is controlled by
Germany and that owing to the war 1t
is not being imported into this coun-
try now except in limited quantities.
which has made the price high. We
are also told that but little potash can
be produced here: small deposits are
found in the West and the main source
is the 'kelp. a seaweed found along
parts of the Pacific coast. This has
to be dried and treated, and there are
no factories now for producing potash
from this source, and 1t is problem
atical as 10 what the cost of the prod
uct will be.
How then. with potash controlled by
Germany. and the German production
only of recent origin. has China. one
of the oldest inhabited countries on the
globe. maintained its soil fertility all
these centuries before Germany pro-
duced potash? China. by the way. il a
veg tartan country too. Tho people ca;
little meat. living principally upon
vegetables, and the soil there to-day is
wonderfully productive, notwithstand-
ing the fact that it has produced the
maximum number OF heavy crops
every year.
The fact is that in the United States
probably to say that millions Of dollars
or potash is wasted every year. is not
putting the figures too high. This IL
not all. Not only is this mineral on
which life depends wasted and washed
into the sea. but millions and millions
Of additional dollars are spent every
year to do ii, and still worse. the health
Of the whole nation Is ENDANGERED bv
50 dling. Note the pollution of all our
great lakes and rivers where the water
is in turn pumped up and used for
drinking purposes, with the constant
epidemics IF typhoid fever in the cities
bordering all Il rreat lakes and
rivers.
If our scientists were awake. par
ticularly those who are being paid by
our state and national Governments,
this condition would be corrected. or
at least "A movement to correct II would
be on foot. II must be done eventually.
as conditions, the preservation of u
country and the people will compel 1t.