SOIL SESSION, 



103 



II. 



When our fathers took possession of the second Garden of Eden, 

 the great Valley of the Mississippi, they found a soil practically un- 

 touched by man since the world began and stored with potential bread 

 for millions upon millions of people. Forthwith they began to plow 

 and sow and reap, and the world was fed. And when they were warned 

 that their soil was not an inexhaustible bank, which could be drawn upon 

 forever without restitution, they hooted at the counsel given and went 

 ahead as before stimulating the soil to its utmost production by the thor- 

 ough tillage which modern implements made possible, implements driven 

 with an untiring industry, and then removing from it the entire crop 

 produced, and if any restitution was made in manure it was so inadequate 

 in quantity and so deteriorated in quality by unwise management as to 

 be but an insignificant factor in staying the course of fertility depletion. 



In table I is shown the course of corn and wheat production in 

 four states lying in the heart of the corn belt — Ohio,Indiana, Illinois and 



I. -FORTY YEA.RS OF OORN AND WHEAT. 



Wheat. 



1865-1874. 

 1875-1884. 

 1885-1894. 

 1895-1904. 



5,993,0C0 



9, 985. 000 



9.027.0(0 



10.469,0;0 



OHIO-STATE vs. NATIONAL STATISTICS. 



Period. 



Corn. 



Wheat. 



State. 



National, 



State. 



National 



4 states, acres 



corn, wheat 



and oats. 



1865-1874 

 1875-1884 

 1885-1894 

 1895-1004 



35.4 

 33.7 

 32.8 

 36.0 



36.0 

 32.3 

 29.2 

 34.2 



11.4 

 14.1 

 14.5 

 12.9 



12.0 

 14 5 

 13.9 

 13.4 



22,800,000 

 36, 500, OCO 

 37,60O,OC0 

 43,600,000 



