AMERICAN SOIL PROBLEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14855, 5 December 1911, Page 10

AMERICAN SOIL PROBLEMS.

A question which is attracting a good deal of . attention : in tKo United States* at tho present timo is the need for a change in some of the prevalent systems of farming. It is recognised, says , the Journal of . the Board of Agriculture, that the at onetime virgin soil is beginning to-' show signs of exhaustion, and that it is becoming increasingly necessary to adopt the' rotation system which prevails in the older countries of the world . During tho last 60 years an enormous area of land 'has been brought into cultivation; and whilo this . land was new and fertile the production: of crops was accomplished at little expense, and .without any attempt to maintain tho fertility by manuring or by a change of . crops. - When land in* the oider States became less productive there was a tendency to move out to newer regions , where virgin soils could still bo obtained. Tho area of undeveloped land is now, however, relatively limited, and it is much less easy than was formerly the case to find new land that can profitably be cultivated on tho ■ single-crop sy3tom. This has led to an increase in the price of land, and with it to an increase' in tenant farming. The exhaustive system of farming by the continual growth of crops without" return, which was perhaps natural in the caso of virgin soil, seems to havo been continued on these tenant farms without any of thoso safeguards against exhaustion which have bjien found necessary elsewhere. ¥} It is stated that " leases aro usually made for short terms. < The renter has no--inter-est; in maintaining tho fertility, for no las no assurance that ho will receivo the benefit ..of it. He is interested only in immediate results. He therefore proceeds to rob the soil by exploitive methods of farming similar to those which prevailed when the land was first put into cultivation." It is recognised that this extravagant system of farming cannot 'bo continued indefinitely, and the United States Department of Agriculture is now endeavouring to spread a knowledge of the principles of soil fertility among farmers order to enable them to utilise tho resources at their command.

In the first place, it is considered that there must be in increase in the number of live stock kept on farms, and where land is let it ho leases must bo made for longer terms. Where y the , tenant cannot provide a sufficient head of live stock it is suggested that they should be supplied by tho landlord. The use' of leguminous crops, such, as clover, lucerne, peas, etc., a systematic rotation of crops, tho_ increased uso of artificial fertilisers, the improvement of seed, the utilisation of home-grown*feeding stuffs for live stock, and, ,in , short, all tho principles involved in a sound system of agriculture a3 understood in England '■ and in Europe aro now being advocated as essential to successful farming in the United States. Changes such as these, adds tho Journal, are likely to bo slow; they ' require both more capital and more labour than have hitherto _ 'been available, but with their trradtial introduction they are likelv to influence, the -position of the United States as an exporter pf agricultural produce.^