EDITORIAL. 105 



latter fertilizers must be applied to the land regularly each year, 

 incurring an annual cost of from $3.50 to $4 an acre. 



Another result of these developments is that the speculative value 

 of moor lands has advanced quite materiall}" in nearly all localities. 

 "With good drainage the lands may be grazed profitably, though some 

 care is required to keep intact the surface of those portions used for 

 pasture. Meadow grasses, clover, oats, rye, potatoes, beets, and other 

 root crops are grown successfully in the fields, and flowers and vegeta- 

 bles in the garden. It may be said, however, that much remains to 

 be learned regarding the proper fertilization of the land for the 

 economic production of staple crops. The Government is prose- 

 cuting this part of the investigation with great care and has attained 

 a reasonable measure of success. 



Turning to the moor lands of America, it may be remarked that 

 they are quite different from those in Germany in several important 

 particulars. They are not usualh^ as deep as IG feet, and many of 

 them have their origin in decayed sedges and grasses, the resulting 

 turf resting upon clay or upon sand only 4 or 5 feet below the surface. 

 The sphagnum moss lands in the north are less compact than the 

 German lands of that class, being apparently of more recent geo- 

 logical formation than those of Europe, Their characteristics, as far 

 as drainage and natural fertility are concerned, are not far different, 

 judging from the few results so far attained in this country. The 

 work on German moors has demonstrated the practicability of making 

 them profitably productive under conditions which exist there, 

 namely, cheap labor, all arable land occupied, and a constant demand 

 for staple crops at good prices. We are approaching these conditions 

 in America, but are still quite distant from such as prevail in Ger- 

 many. We are beginning, however, to look into the possibilities of 

 our own moor lands. That they are less promising for agriculture 

 than the alluvial swamp and wild lands which we are accustomed to 

 reclaim is acknowledged, yet considering the attention which is now 

 being directed to that portion of our domain, they merit careful 

 examination and experimental treatment. 



The acquisition by this country of Hawaii, Porto Eico, and the 

 Philippines has brought to the American people a number of agricul- 

 tural problems that are pressing for solution. In the past these coun- 

 tries have produced in important amount but one or at most a few 

 crops. In Hawaii sugar, in Porto Rico sugar and coffee, and in the 

 Philippines tobacco and Manila hemp ha^ c been the most important 

 agricultural products. Many minor crops are grown, but of as impor- 

 tant a crop as rice not enough is produced to meet the requirements 

 and large quantities must be regularly imported. 



This is a direct result of the system of agriculture that has been 

 developed in those countries, that of the large holder, either an 



