AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY AND GEOLOGY. 215 



Alarming Deterioration of the Soil. 



THE constant deterioration of the soils in New England, and throughout most of the 

 agricultural districts of the United States, is a fact of portentous and alarming significance, 

 though it has not yet arrested very extensively the notice of the public. Probably there is 

 no one fact in our agricultural economy of more pregnant interest than this in its bearings 

 upon our future prosperity. Some statistics, illustrating this downward tendency in our 

 ability to produce the fruits of the earth, will now be given ; and they will, I think, conclu- 

 sively prove that a more prudent, skilful, and scientific mode of cultivating the soil is abso- 

 lutely indispensable. 



Between 1840 and 1850 three hundred thousand acres of land were added to those pre- 

 viously under improvement in Massachusetts. Ninety thousand acres were added to our 

 mowing lauds, and yet there was a relative depreciation of the hay crop during that decade 

 of years of twelve per cent. Our tillage lands during the same term were increased forty 

 thousand acres, and yet there was an absolute depreciation in our grain crop of six thousand 

 bushels. The pasturage lands were increased more than one hundred thousand acres, with 

 scarcely any increase of neat cattle, and a reduction of one hundred and sixty thousand 

 sheep and seventeen thousand swine. 



The same law of deterioration is also observable in the richer regions of the South and 

 West, showing that, with our present unskilful modes of farming, we are taking much more 

 from the productive ability of our soils than we are returning to them, and that our agricul- 

 tural prosperity is really and constantly on the wane. This downward tendency is partially 

 hidden from public observation by the vast products which are raised upon the new and 

 almost limitless regions which are every year put under cultivation at the West; but the 

 fact itself is still indubitable. 



In the State of New York, between the years 1845 and 1850, 671,692 acres were added to 

 those previously under improvement, and of course there ought to have been at least a cor- 

 responding increase in the agricultural products of the State. But what was the fact ? 



The number of horses decreased is 58,141. 



Milch cows decreased, 63,066. 



Other cattle, the decrease was 127,525. 



Sheep, the decrease was 2,990,622. 



Swine, the decrease was 556,002. 



Of potatoes, the decrease was 7,255,066 bushels. 



Of peas and beans, there was a decrease of 1,132,054 bushels. 



Flax, the decrease was 1,956,485 pounds. 



Wool, the decrease was 3,793,527 pounds. 



Wheat, the decrease was 270,724 bushels. 



Buckwheat, the decrease was 450,724 bushels. 



There was an increase in the amount of corn, rye, oats, barley, hay, butter, and cheese 

 raised in that State, but no greater than would have been expected from the increase of the 

 population, which was 494,323 during those five years. 



In Tennessee, the number of cattle raised wi 



In 1840 822,861 head. 



In 1850 750,565 " 



Showing a decrease of. 72,296 " 



In Kentucky, more than nine-tenths of the entire area of the State is covered with 

 farms. The number of neat cattle raised was 



In 1840 789,093 head. 



In 1850 753,312 



Showing a decrease of 35,781 rt 



Horses and mules raised in Kentucky 



In 1840 395,953 head. 



In 1850 381,291 " 



Decrease "14,662" " 



