CHAPTER THREE 



SOIL IMPROVEMENT 



GENERAL 



Past and Present Conditions. The subject of soil improvement 

 was little considered by American farmers in early days. Crop 

 after crop of corn and wheat, cotton and tobacco, was raised; 

 then fields were turned out to ' rest ' ; new fields were subjected 

 to the same treatment. 



" Why not ? " thought the farmer, if he thought at all on the sub- 

 ject. He was master of uncleared forests and untilled valleys. It 

 seemed no serious matter to exhaust the fertility, not merely of some 

 fields, but of whole farms. To the west lay vast prairies, their deep 

 soil unbroken by the plow. Foolish and extravagant, but natural, 

 it was that the farmers should take the cream of this rich land. 



But, you know, if we keep on taking off cream, after a while 

 we have nothing left but skim milk. And from skim milk we 

 cannot make butter. Thus it is with land. If we keep on taking 

 off the cream of its fertility, after a while we have poor land, and 

 poor land is worthless for crop raising. 



Nor are farmers now able to move west and take up rich new 

 farms in place of poor old ones. The country is settled, fertile 

 lands are occupied, land values have increased. It has become 

 necessary for the farmer to make the most and best of his farm. 

 And it is not the number of acres which he owns, but their fertility, 

 which brings him money and success and happiness. 



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