290 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



September 17, 1910. 



Wherever there is a low level of agricultural 

 production, owing chiefly to the lack of a proper 

 general proce<lure in relation to it, conditions are 

 rendered doubly unfavourable because of the want of 

 means to attract capital. In such cases, indeed, the 

 usual effect is one of actual repulsion, and it is unlikely 

 that outside money will be available, for helping in the 

 amelioration of conditions, unless there is evidence of 

 the possibility of the adoption of measures which will 

 lead to a general improvement of the circumstances 

 surrotinding and limiting agricultural production. 



Means have therefore to be found which will pre- 

 vent deterioration, where this is likely to take place; as 

 well as to arrest it, where it is already known to be in 

 evidence. The tendency, as a matter of fact, should be 

 always toward improvement, for in no case has perfec- 

 tion been attained, and the conscious striving toward 

 this will have its effect in regulating any inclination 

 toward lessened efficiency. These means are suflicienth' 

 obvious, and include those of special, as well as of a more 

 general, application. 



The mure special methods toward attaining what 

 may be termed agricultural conservancy have relation 

 to such matters as the prevention of the loss of soil by 

 washing during heavy rains, and in other ways, as well 

 as that of the permanent lessening of the amount of the 

 more readily available plant food in it. In the latter 

 connexion, the more general employment of the 

 rotation of crops, green dressings and artificial manures, 

 is indicated as a natural remedy. In addition, there is 

 the keeping of stock in quantities adequate to maintain 

 the proper relation between the vegetable 2Ji'oduce of 

 the estates, the energy required on these, the main- 

 tenance of the proper state of fertility of the soil, and 

 the food-supply of the inhabitants. The far-reaching 

 importance of the raising of a sufficient amount of stock 

 in a country is not ofcen realized, and the provision of 

 means to do this is a difficult probleui wliere the crops 

 are chiefly of a permanent nature. 



The general means toward the end that is being 

 discussed have reference, like the sjiecial ones, firstly, to 

 the prevention of the washing away of soil at times of 

 heavy rainfall. They are thus made to include reaffoi- 

 station — a subject whose importance dues not require 

 any argument. A secmd matter, broad in its applica- 

 tion, is the greater use of waste substances as 

 manures. Many such products, of large value in 

 the aggregate, are thrown away or destnjyed, when 

 they could be utilized as stated, even if this en- 

 tailed a certain auiduiit uf preliminary preparation. 



The esse of the, exportation of edible products, jiarticu- 

 larly when these are by-products, is somewhat similar, 

 as the price obtained for them is often not fairly repre- 

 sentative of their value as foods for stock; the connexion 

 of their greater use in reference to increased stock- 

 raising is obvious. 



The consideration of these general means toward 

 the maintenance of soil fertility includes, however, 

 a matter that is becoming of greater importance as time 

 goes on, namely the question of diversified agriculture. 

 This is too large a subject, in its various connexions, to 

 treat here adequately. It is evident, however, that in 

 relation to what may be termed the agricultural balance 

 of a country, there is a certain distribution of the crops 

 over the land available for them that is the most effect- 

 ive in regard to the general economy of production. It 

 would be difficult, to express it shortly, to know when 

 the distribution that, is most efficient has been obtained, 

 but much can be done toward its attainment by increas- 

 ing the number of kinds of crops grown. One result 

 of this diversification of crops will be to afford a ce'-- 

 tain amount of relief to the strain of jnoduction by 

 the soil, as well as to give the best chance of the 

 mutual jirovision of many of the materials that are 

 required in the raising of the different products. 



The mention of the most obvious general means 

 toward the conservation of the resources that are con- 

 tained in the soil has been left until the last. It is 

 sufficiently self-evident that this means is included in 

 education. Much has been done in the past to elucidate 

 the best methods in connexion with this, and the investi- 

 gation can be said to have jiassed the experimental 

 stage. It now remains to extend the practical appli- 

 cation of its results, so that, with the spread of agricult- 

 ural knowledge, there will be brought about a greater 

 respect for the soil as a producer, and a better apprec- 

 iation of the inter-dependence of the factors that limit 

 ])roduction. 



All the different phases of agricultuial ]iroduction, 

 in a given community, react on one -another, and the 

 state of the general efficiency has a limiting effect on 

 the progress of any one of them. This is because this 

 state of efficiency does mu(-h to regulate the extent to 

 which the fertility of the soil is maintained. The pros- 

 perity of such a community, therefore, depends on the 

 value of its inhabitants as agricultural workers, so that, 

 if this is to be maintained or increased, there must be 

 a wide recognition of the necessity for general effort 

 toward improvement. 



