The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1891-07-29
CANINE OF HE Eu1uRe

Possibilities of the Extinction of the
Human Race by Starvation.
MIR Ravenstein, member of the
British association for the advancement
of science, has been computing the
probable increase of the human rs,re on
the earth. He arrives at the startling
conclusion that in 1872 years the density
OF population upon the globe will be such
that the means of subsistence will be in
adequate to its support. He estimates
the population of the world Of the pres
ent year at l 1853, 100000. He finds that
the average increase every ten years is
about s per cent
The section of the country still epen IN
colonization comprises parts of Africa.
North and South America. Australia.
some outlying islands, the steppes and
deserts. The total area of all the habit
able lands in the world is over 40 DOC. coo
Of square miles. OF this area the fertile
or comparatively fertile lands are over
3s,OOO.OOO of square miles, the bare grass
lands or steppes $4,000, 600, and the bare
teserts 1000 1870 square miles.
10 the steppes he allocates popula-
ton of ten to the square mile, and 10 the
iesert regions one to the square mile
The bulk Of the population would, there
fore, have to subsist on the %, 600 900
square miles Of fertile lands. Compar-
ing the density of population-in India
l7o to the square 8Aie, in China 295 to
the square mile arfsY-p Japan 264 to the
square mile-he arrives at the conclu-
sion that a world population of 907 to
the square mile in the cultivable regions
would be fair estimate.
This POT persons TO the square mile
will be reached in 1872 years at the pres
INT rate Of increase, when the total pop
ulation of the cultivable area would be
1850, 7OO,O 600, and the total number the
'arth would feed 1894, 900, 900.
Any further increase OF population
must either be provided for by diminu-
tion OF su bsistence TO each individual or
~ some improved mode Of production,
lr by keeping down the future birth rate
below the death rate. Mr. Ravenstein's
statistics do not concsrn us Of the pres
eht generation very vitality. We can
leave the solution to our great-grand-
children. We have increased and lnul-
tiplied very comfortably in spite of the
ugubrious warnings of Mr.. Nautilus.
md perhaps they also will multiply and
increase in spite of Mr.. Ravenstein.
If any race must go to the wall, it may
be confidently predicted it will not be
the white race. There will be a Oar
winiaR survival Of the tittest. The weak
ar races will disappear before the
stronger. The Indian will ultimately
vanish from this continent. and the Afri-
can in his native land bids fair to be
lecimated.
The tendency Of population 30 the cities
must also be taken into account in any
comparison Of people to areas of reason
able subsistence. Concentration in large
towns always tends to increased produc-
ton within wide circuit around them,
especially in the line of fruits and vege-
tables Two hundred years hence the
iesert lands which Mr.. Ravenstein re-
CARDS as incapable of cultivation may
blossom as the rose. Already irrigation
is working wonders in the unpro4nising
soil in some of our western states Mod
arn science will teach many ways of in
oreasing the food supply.
Mr.. Ravenstein's speculatioRs are
plausible and his statistics suggestive
enough, but the fgHres of today may be
utterly falsified by the figures of 20J
years hence. Many things may inter
vene in the meantime to keep down pop
ulation or increase the food supply. The
extinction T the race by starvation is a
very remote contingency indeed, and
Mr.. Ravensteins 1873 years bid fair to
stretch out indefinitely before that CON
tingency curs.-Baltimore Sun.