222 THE NEW AGRICULTURE. 



with which to ballast their road. Here I took great delight in 

 studjing corn roots. They were large enough to preserve at a 

 depth of eight, but where the ground began to be moist from the 

 water beneath, by careful digging they could be traced from two 

 to four feet farther, where they reached perennial water. 



As to the " New Agriculture " with pick and shovel, I most care- 

 fully examined the land treated by Mr. Cole, and also that adjoin- 

 ing which was not treated, and I expect in the near future to give some 

 facts and my conclusions to the public. 



Very respectfully yours, 



L P. ROBERTS. 



We are growing old and anxious lest we die and see not in the 

 flesh the fruits of our life-work a half century spent in pursuit of 

 the waters. 



We want to see the tile manufacturers so conforming their wares 

 as to conserve instead of wasting the waters. 



We want to see the inventor at work giving the farmer a trench- 

 ing machine which will do more subsoiling in a day than an hun- 

 dred of the best plowmen can do now in a month with the most 

 efficient implements, and doing it in a way which, once done, will 

 not need to be done again. 



We want to see an end of unfermented and uncomposted manures, 

 and an end also of most of the phosphates with which the earth 

 has been hitherto cursed. 



We want to see farmers do their own fertilizing, avoiding seeds 

 of fungus and fouling of lands by sowing inoculations of noxous 

 plants and weeds. 



In this latter connection it has occurred to us that the transpor- 

 tation from West to East of alkaline deposits, might be found pro- 

 fitable to both sections. The transit is made easy by means of our 

 railroad system, so gridironing the country as to make interchange 



