Thus, with a few established facts in mind, one can easily determine
how to maintain or even to increase the supply of nitrogen in the
soil, and without the purchase of nitrogen in any form; and it is
just as possible and just as necessary thus to provide the nitrogen
needed in grain farming as in livestock farming. When we consider
that animals destroy two-thirds of the organic matter in the food
consumed we find that as between the two systems above described the
organic matter or humus of the soil will be better maintained in the
grain system outlined.

Live-Stock or Grain Farming

For those who believe that live-stock farming must be adopted for
the maintenance of fertility on all farms, attention should be
called to the fact that there are 900,000,000 acres of farm-land in
the United States and only 90,000,000 head of live-stock equivalent
to cows, including all farm animals. Will the manure from one cow
serve to enrich 10 acres of land?

It should also be known that a hundred bushels of grain will support
five times as many people as could live for the same length of time
on the meat and milk that could be made by feeding the grain to
domestic animals. It is because of this fact that the consumer may
sometimes boycott meat or other animal products, while he never
boycotts bread; but let us hope that permanent systems will become
generally adopted in America, for the production of both grain and
live stock, so that high standards of living may be maintained for
all classes of people in this country.