The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-04
STARTLING DATA
The Ratios ofthe Food Crop and Popu-
lation.

1000 crops OF the teHIptidtc DohcS SiiA
the population depending upon such
crops for subsistence, the enquirer meets
with many obstacles; obstacles growing
out of the indifference of officials, the
observance of Anticipated modes of dipio-
matte intercourse as well as the lack OF
adequate means of gathering data IN re-
lation to production in many OF the
smaller states, especially those OF south
eastern Europe and of western Asia, but
with all these obstacles in the way there
exists the means of determining the
ratios of such increase if one has but the
patience to pursue the search, and the
developments are so unexpected and
interesting that the investigator who
takes pleasure in this kind of work-and
others will never undertake twill lind
ample compensation for the time and
labor employed. and much satisfaction
in exposing the fallacies of these VINO
have so long taught US that we must
hurry our stuff to market or the other
fellow would stock up our only customer
and forever bar us out.
L
indicated l come upon many surprises
and find matters in different shape from
what those who buy our products IN bn.
rope and those who gather IN pile OF
ducats from selling short the products OF
our farms would fain have us believe.
For instance, from the tabulatlon OF
the acreage devoted to all kinds OF gram
and potatoes in the eight principal gram
growing countries of Europe-Russia,
Germany, Austria, Hungary, France.
Italy, Great Britain and Roumania-and
embracing so per cent of that continent,
it is found that the area in such crops IN
1870 was, in round numbers, 322, 000,O U0
acres and is now 324 100000 acres the IN
crease having been 100000 acres oelng
less than per cent in twenty years. The
changes in the distribution OF this acre
age-w hich has increased but one SIX
teenth, or per cent IA great as the III
crease Of European population-lS as IN
teresting as the limited and unexpected
extent Of such increase: for instance 1T
is found that the acreage in wheat has
augmented but 100000 acres and that
the area in rye has sunken no less than
2, 227 900 acres, or three times as much
as the area in wheat mas expanded. The
area in barley has shrunken no less
than 1850, 900 acres, while that IN oats
has expanded by a, 300, 900 and the maize
tields-of Roumania-have increased
over / 900, 600 and the potatoe fields have
been enlarged by the addition Of 2,5O0,-
600 acres.
From these changes we see the same
processes going on in Europe that we do
in our older states; and that Is the con-
version of the fie dis which have hereto
fore borne food for man to the production
Of provender rendered necessary by q
constant increase of the number OF AMI
mails required by the augmentlng popu-
lation This is shown much more clearly
in the areas devoted to grass and hay as
in Sweden the area in grass has lncreas-
ed 80 per cent during the last decade and
the area in all grain crops but II per
cent, and this grain In the grain area has
been almost wholly In the cOarser grams
used for animal food, and the same Is
! true of nearly every country from which
| it has been possible to obtain the area IN
grass. In the seven years ending with
1887 the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois.
Michigan and Wisconsin converted
more than 100000 acres of their
wheat and corn lands into mead
ows and relegated the growing OF
wheat and corn, to that extent, to
the Dakotas, Nebraska and Kansas. And
this process of conversion is going on in
every state east of the Rockies and must,
at an accelerated pace, as the increase
of a larger population will necesSitate
the addition yearly of larger number
! of cows and horses for the services OF
! Al, q
| lessening proportion of new land to de-
vote to this purpose we must reduce the
| grain fields to procure the needed sup
! plies of hay and pasturage. 1t was
reasonable to suppose that the same
process of converting grain fields into
meadows and pasture should be gong
on in Europe but the magnitude of such
| conversions is surprising and accounts
| for the rapid increase of the quantity OF
! feeding grains being imported, OF late
wears. By the peoples of Europe. We
have heard much of the great increase
made in the European standard Of living
of late years but if it IS true that the
standard of living has been advanced ii
must have taken place in the manufac-
| turing districts only, as the Russian is
growing poorer and there Is every reason
! to believe that the same is true OF nearly
all, or quite all. the agricultural popula-
/ tons of continental Europe where there
| has been greater shirnkage III
| the values of the products of the
| farm than in the United States and GER
| tainly a greater sArlnkage IN the value
of land. although while the Europeans
have been adding less than 3,UO,00t
acres to the land devoted 10 the prOdHc-
ton of grain we have fully 90, 00o,00C
and another Sc, 900, GOO under cotton and
meadow.
The $50. 000, 900 of people of Europe
| have. in grain and potatoes, about 364, GOO
| coo acres being 1.04 acres per capita, anc
the food that Europe imports probably
EMPLOYS other 90, 600, 600 acres so that we
NAV say that the standard of living IL
! Europe. as z whole. is such as TO require
I. the product, in grain and potatoes. OF one
acre and one-tenth per capita. Ga the
| other hand, assuming that we annually
| export the product of 1900, 000 acres OF
grain in some form-and it is much more
| thru we do export-the 50, 600, 900 people
| in the United States consume the pro
duct of 40, 900, coo acres of grain anc
potatoes, being at the rate of 2.23 acre:
per capita, or quite as much as the PEG
| Die of the other continent, and this Is {
very accurate measure of the dIfferen
standards of living obtaining, and while
it is altogether improbable that tn:
| American eats twice as much a:
the European the greater mum
| Der OF animals kept and ths
greater amount OF animal product:
consumed, in the form of flesh and va
rioas forms CT dairy produce, readily
| accounts for the greater quantity OF
| land that is here required 10 suosist 1
given population. although the acreage
/ nrodricr of E,lrnnear fields Is about s pei