The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1917-03-09

huihus' WHICH is one OF the princi-
pal characteristics from an agricul.
tural view. The soil is filed with
millions of organisms of a low form
without these activities the growing
OF crops would be impossible. Our
SOL therefore not only contains min
eral matters which are necessary IN
susta n the life of plants, but also
tnose Organic elements without which
these mineral matters would not Le
available to plant growth.
Ihere are three principal mineral
foods for plant. They are potash
phosphate, acid nitrogen. There
are many others, such as lime. MAG
nesia, iron and many other suI.
stances which are found in plants,
out these are not absolutely essen,
tlal to plant growth. | suppose it is
fact well known to most farmers
that if either nitrogen, potash ar
phosphate acids be entirely removed
from the environment it is impos.
slDle to produce natural plant. The
soil is regarded as that part of
plant life which furnishes the me-
chanlcal support for the growing
plant, supplying it with the mineral
foods essential to its growth and
maturity, and favors the best condi.
tions which enable plant cells TO
elaborate the organic matter of
which the maturity plant is chiefly
composed
Our own great and well-beloved
country, practically recently dis
covered and just being developed. is,
10 my way of thinking, the Eden of
Gods creation for the United States
and including our new possessions,
represents every variety of soil and
character of climate to be found in
all the universe. Yes, within the
borders OF the United States are
grown every agricultural crop known
10 the world. 1t produces an i'm
mense quantity of cereals and fiber
plants, especially such as cotton. fay
sugar-producing plants including
sugar cane, sugar beets, sorghum.
maple trees, vegetable and fruit
plants almost without number. We're
1t not for preventing firing your
patience with dry figures from sta.
tlstics gathered by the United States
| should be glad to give YOU some
Ideas in figures of the acreage uuan-
tlty and value of the agricultural pro-
ducts OF the United States in the
last few years. The one product that
is universal in the United States ia
Indian corn, which is produced in
abundance by every state in the
union except Nevada. The total
acreage of Indian corn under Guilt.
walton in the United States in 1904
was 92,231 ISL acres, which produced
that year 2,4S7,4S0994 bushels. and
the wholesale market price that year
was 44c per bushel, yielding us in
cash more than a billion dollars; but
thls IS only one of our products of
cereals. Besides this, we have wheat
oats, barley, rice, buckwheat and n
number of others too numerous here
to mention. When we think upon
the great production of cereals, which
is the food life of both man and
Deast we, the proud sons of an agri-
cultural country cannot help but
look up to our Heavenly Father and
express thanks for the great wealth.
giving land upon which We live. We
feel like repeating the often sung
humn-
My Father is rich in houses and
land,
He holdeth the wealth of the world
in His hands,"
And he not only holds it in his
hands, but He is ready and willing
to give it out to the sons of toll if
they Will only stretch forth their
hands and receive it, obeying his
well-regulated and scientifically con.
stltuted laws for production.
There is one great question which
constantly. presents itself to the in.
quiring minds of the political econ.
omists viz: rs the rate of increase
in population to be diminished. or If
continued, will the food supply be
exhausted in the near Or remote flu.
ture? Now, for an answer to these
political economists We must consult
scientific agriculture and apply the
principles agricultural of science
in the true principles of
fertilization of annual increas.
ing the average products of
the old farm land of the country
the principles of cattle feeding, the
proper utilizing of farm products
With these properly applied, we have
no reason to think that the average
acreage in the United States would
not increase the products sufficiently
TO keep pace with the increased DO
pulation. For instance, if our scien
tlhc agricultural fertilizers would
only increase the product of ouI
indian corn just one bushel pc,
acre, the increase would be more than
92,OOO,OOO bushels annually. It was
formerly fixed in my mind as YOU
are living in the Southern agricul
tural part of this country, to SPEAK
to you more particularly about that
wealth-giving product or fiber known
as cotton, which is today by its in
creasing demands and wealth-produc
ing properties throughout the entire
civilized world, calculated to make
the citizens Of the South, the sons
OF toll, the most wealthy and indie
pendent people upon the face of Gods
creation. Cotton is today the mos
important agricultural product il
the world, and the United States ant
4 the South, If you please, supply it il
| much greater quantities than any
other country in all the civilized
: world.
AS to when the use of this fiber O,
product was first made known t,
man for clothing purposes, we hav,
no idea. Historians and writer
can only speak of the period wher
, the western civilization found it il
: use among the dense population O
the East Indies. Columbus discov
cred 1t when he reached the shores