CROP YIELDS AND 1'KICF.S 



107 



fertility. If so, then we must conclude that the longer land is 

 farmed the richer it gets, because the Atlantic Coast states show 

 the largest increase in crop yields. The striking increase is due to 

 the better returns that crops now bring. Every farmer knows 

 many ways of increasing his crops. Whenever prices rise, more 

 fertilizers and better methods are used. In the states east of the 



IL'U 



115 



1806 1870 



IM'O 



1'JUO 



1010 



Comparative Crop Yields in States East of tin 



1866 considered as 100 Per < 



Mississippi River, in 1899, the average expenditm. 

 was 36 cents per acre of crops. In mo<) it was ; 



>al>ly inurh more important than tin- expenditure 

 tili/rr is the iiu Teased attention that is In : n to the care 



and use of farm manure. Methods of tillage also have been im- 



<1. Much land has been drained, so that wet spots \ 

 once lowered the av it. 



It is certainly very unsafe to draw com In m crop \ 



whether our s-.ils are running out. The \ields .ne mcreas- 

 the cause. 



