lUOIJHiV OF AGRICULTUKAI. l'K( »I »l < TloN 95 



It is interesting that Lincoln slionld state the problem so 

 clearly, more than lifty years ago.^ 



My first suggestion is an inquiry as to thi^ effect of greater thon (Ugli- 

 ness in all departments of agriculture tlian now prevails in tlie Xortli- 

 west — perlia]>s I might say in America. To sp«'ak entin-ly within 

 bounds, it is known that fifty hushcls of wheat, or one liuudred husluds 

 of Indian corn, can he ^(roduced from an acre. Less than a year ago I 

 saw it stated that a man, hv extraordinary care and lai>or, liad oroduced 

 of wlieat what \vas e<[ual to two liundred husliels from an acre. Hut 

 take fifty of wheat, and one hundred of c(»rn, to Ix* tlie j»ossihility, an<l 

 compare it with the actual crops of the country. Many years ago I saw 

 it stated, in a patent-office report, that eighteen l)ush(ds was the average 

 cr()]> throughout the United States; and this year an intelligent farmer 

 of Illinois assured me that he did not Ixdieve that tlie land liarvested 

 in that State this season had yielded more than an average of eight 

 bushels to the acre: much was cut and tlien abandoned as not worth 

 threshing, and much was abandoned as not worth cutting. As to Indian 

 corn, and indeed, most other crops, the case has not been much better. 

 For the last four years I do not l)elieve tlie ground ]»lanted with corn 

 in Illinois has produced an averagt^ of twenty bushels to the acre. 



Lincoln admits too much for the sake of argument, however, 

 ^vhen he says : 



Umiuestionably it will take more labor to [H'odiice fifty bushels from 

 an acre than it will to ])roduce ten bushels from the saiiH' acre ; but will 

 it take more labor to produce fifty bushels from one acre than from 

 five? Unquestionably thorougli cultivation will recpiire more lal»or to 

 the acre; but will it require more to the bushel? 



Recent experiments have pr(n'c<l that less labor, railicr than 

 more, may produce the larger crop, (iocthe's proverb, yir/tta 

 ist schrecJili flier ali< fafit/e Ufiirissefi/in'f, '' Nothing is more ter- 

 rible than active ignorance," ai)plics with unusual force to the 

 delicate task of raising a plant /ifsf. 



The most laborious and expensive factor in growing a Held 

 of corn has been "thorough cultivation." After this had been 



1 Abraham Lincoln, Complete Works, Vol. I, p. 577. 



