Dkckmbrb, 1910.J 



519 



Scientific Agriculture. 



the very existence of this inferiority 

 will increase the difficulty of the effort, 

 and lessen the value of its results. 



This matter possesses a special im- 

 portance in regard to districts or colo- 

 nies which have become noted for a 

 particularly high grade of some definite 

 commodity, because of the large area 

 from which this comes, and on account 

 of the speedy determination and conse- 

 quent reproach that it will suffer in 

 the event of its production under less 

 favourable circumstances. A reason is 

 thus given for the exercise of che greatest 

 care to prevent negligence in the course 

 of this production, and thus to ensure 

 that the soil in which the plants grow 

 that yield the commodity, shall not be 

 made to furnish this in amounts too 

 great for its capacity, or be permitted 

 to undergo exhaustion on account of 

 uearlect.* Once snch untoward circum- 

 stances are allowed to come into beiug, 

 the efforts of individuals to remedy 

 matters are of little use. There is need 

 for a wide consideration of affairs, and 

 the adoption of methods which will 

 improve agricultural conditions in a 

 perfectly general way. 



Wnenever there is a low level of agri- 

 cultural production, owing chiefly to 

 the lack of a proper general procedure 

 in relation to it, conditions are rendered 

 doubly unfavourable because of the 

 want of means to attract capital. In 

 such cases, indedd, the usual effect is 

 one of actual repulsion, and it is un- 

 likely that outside money will be avail- 

 able for helping in the amelioration of 

 conditions, unless there is evidence of 

 the possibility of the adoption of mea- 

 sures which will lead to a general im- 

 provement of the circumstances sur- 

 rounding and limiting agricultural pro- 

 duction. 



Means have therefore to be found which 

 will prevent deterioration where this 

 is likely to take place, as well as to 

 arrest it where it is already known to 

 be in evidence. The tendency, as a 

 matter of fact, should be always toward 

 improvement, for in no case has per- 

 fection been attained, and the conscious 

 striving toward this will have its effect 

 in- regulating any inclination toward 

 lessened efficiency. These means are 

 sufficiently obvious, and include those 

 of special, as well as of a more general, 

 application. 



The more special methods toward 

 attaining what may be termed agricul- 

 tural conservancy have relation to such 

 matters as the prevention of the loss of 

 soil by washing during heavy rains, and 

 in other ways, as well a9 that of the 



permanent lessening cf the amount of 

 the more readily available plant food in 

 it. In the latter connection, the more 

 general employment of the rotation 

 of crops, green dressings and artificial 

 manures is indicated as a natural re- 

 medy. In addition, there is the keeping 

 of stock in quantities adequate to main- 

 tain the proper relation between the 

 vegetable produce of the estates, the 

 energy required on these, the mainten- 

 ance of the proper state of fertility of 

 the soil, and the food-supply of the in- 

 habitants. The far-reaching importance 

 of the v using of a sufficient amount of 

 stock in a country is not often realised, 

 and the provision of means to do this is 

 a difficult problem where the crops are 

 chiefly of a permanent nature. 



The general means toward the end 

 that is being discussed have reference, 

 like the special ones, firstly, to the pre- 

 vention of the washiug away of soil at 

 times of heavy rainfall. They are thus 

 made to include reafforestation— a sub- 

 ject whose importance does not require 

 auy argument. A second matter, broad 

 in its application, is the greater use of 

 waste substances as manures. Many 

 such products, of large value in the 

 aggregate, are thrown away or destroy- 

 ed, when they could be utilised as stated, 

 even if this entailed a certain amount of 

 preliminary preparation. The case of 

 the exportation of edible products, parti- 

 cularly when these are by-products, is 

 somewhat similiar, as the price obtained 

 for them is often not fairly represent- 

 ative of their value as food for stock ; 

 the connection of their greater use in 

 reference to increased stock-raising is 

 obvious. 



The consideration of these general 

 means toward the maintenance of soil 

 fertility includes, however, a matter 

 that is becoming of greater importance 

 as time goes on, namely, the question of 

 diversified agriculture. This is too large 

 a subject in its various connections to 

 treat here adequately. It is evident, 

 however, that in relation to what may 

 be termed the agricultural balance of a 

 country, there is a certain distribution 

 of the crops over the land available for 

 them that is the most effective in regard 

 to the general economy of production. 

 It would be difficult, to express it 

 shortly, to know when the distribution 

 that is most efficient has been obtained, 

 but much cau be done toward its attain- 

 ment by increasing the number of kinds 

 of crops grown. One result of this 

 diversification of crops will be to afford 

 a certain amount of relief to the strain 

 of production by the soil, as well as to 



