Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-07-18
Nar1t4 T.#ttfefta,
TIE FARMER ON TOP.
A New Era Coming. Consumption
will Soon Press upon Production

Wnen the cnlel evil OF the genera
ton of producers now passing away
has been that Of over>production,
resulting in destruction of profit, it
would indeed be a revolution of vast
import if the coming generation of
producers were able to grow only just
enough to meet the demand, and be
enormously enriched thereby. So
says Erastus Wiman in the North
American Review for July, adding:
To begin to talk about a possible
limit to production seems startling
change in conditions, and yet it is a
fact that the power ofconsumption of
food products has caught up to the
power of production.
Mr.. Wiman shows that while the
whole country has increased in popu-
lation over 26 per cent, the cities have
grown over So per cent, while the
farming population has increased
only IA per cent. The disparity be-
tween IA and 40 per cent is so great
that moments reflection will show
its deep significance in relation to the
production and consumption of food.
But in addition to the great increase
in the demand for produce, implied
by the growth of cities and towns, he
shows that there stalks into sight an
apparation, in the shape of another
condition, unexpected and startling.
This is nothing more or less than "a
realization Of two important facts l.
the extent of the exhaustion of arabic
soils. =. The hardly realizable cir
Cumstance that no more new wheat
lands remain unoccupied in the
United States.
We condense the remainder Of his
article as follows: Perhaps the most
striking sign of the exhaustion of
soils on the one hand, and the rapid
occupancy Of lands on the other, is
found in connection with the produce
ton of wheat and its steady northern
tread, until now half the continent is
fed by supplies from the northern
most states. The reader will confirm
this by his or her own experience, in
realizing the simple circumstance
that the bread habitually served fol-
meals in the household comes from
Minnesota or Dakota, or from re-
gion quite as far away. Why an ar
ticle so essential to human life as
wheat and flour, which should be
furnished at a cost 50 free from un-
necessary charges, and which is in
universal use in quantities so vast
should be subjected to a charge fol
freightage averaging from 1000 tC
1000 miles, is problem that can bC
answered only by the statement tina
it can not be produced with prof
nearer.
With the growth in, the consump
ton of bread the immediate power t
produce it in numerous wide local.
ties does not keep pace; even il
wheat>grOwing areas the increase il
in meagre proportion to the humble
of mouths to be filled. The limita
lions in area are within sight; tn
power of production is known; blu
the increase in the number to con
sumo is without limit. If it goes OF
in the next fifty years as in the las
half-century, there are children nov
living who will see the population G
this country from one hundred AM
fifty to two hundred million of pee
pie, who will derive their bread iron
an area that even now has reache
the northern boundary and is begin
ming to realize for its food outpu
prices far in excess of what brit
period ago were possible.
The rapidity with which farm
were taken up and the spare land OF
cupied between 1870 and 1880 ha
been the cause of the depressio
which so universally prevaile
among the farmer class. Excessiv
competition was its curse, and owe
production the cause of the low price
and the destruction of its profit. TIL
is shown by the fact that for tn
fourteen years ending with 1885 til
cultivated area of the United State
increased 10 per cent, while tn
population increased but A per cen
But the rate per cent of yearly il
crease Of cultivated area in 1875 VIZ
81. This has been steadily r,
ducing until in 1890 there was an il
crease of only Ia per cent.
Apparent facts do not justify II
conclusion that hereafter foreig
sources Of supply will largely il
Annrpn -; ~, x,,A -