Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-03

Civilization on This Continent Has . Glorious
Future.

Civilization on This Continent Has . Glorious
! Future.
| MAJOR POWELL 90 AssKRrs-HR CONTROVERSY
AMERICA CANNOT SUPPORT A crvILrHATIoN-
SOME INTERESTING ARaUnExTa
ssT AM NOT A BELIEVER in the theory, re-
l. Gently made public, that this continent is
not fitted to be made the abode Of mi ! and
that civilization is destined soon to be swept of
it, through the exhaustion Of its resources,
said Major Powell, director Of the geological
survey, TO q writer for The STAB.
"The great western continent as the home Of
man is as yet largely undeveloped. But very
small portion Of North America, and q still
smaller portion Of South America, has been
brought under cultivation. About Al, 900
square miles Of the United States have been
subdued by the plough; that is, one-eighth Of
the entire area of the country. Nothwithstand-
ing the fact that certain regions are not avail
able for agricultural purposes, the productive
area can be increased FIVE or skiold.
| "But this enormous prospective increase in
| the capacity of the country for sustaining hu-
man life Is not represented by the amount of
uncultivated but available land. 1t will come
| chiefly from the adoption of more thorough
methods OF cultivation. Again. large part of
the uncultivated lands are the best lands. For
example, there is more than 10000 square
miles OF marsh and swamp yet unredeemed.
When these regions are redeemed they will be
Of the highest fertility. Furthermore, vast
areas Of arid land are to be redeemed by irriga-
| ton and they are destined to be rendered in
this manner enormously productive, as abun-
dant experience demonstrates. But irrigation
| Is not only advantageous to arid lands 1t will
ultimately be practiced throughout most OF
| the United States y source of perennial fer
tilizing of the soil. The intensive methods OF
horticulture are just beginning to be devel.
oped, by which vast store of vegetable food
Will be introduced for man.
| BEASTS SMALL AND GREAT.
"America is also well adapted to all domestic
animals of value. The continent has been the
home of giant animals in past geologic epochs,
but in the process of evolution these monsters,
such as the mastodon and the elephant have
vanished the buffalo. the deer, the antelope,
the bear, the mountain lion, the wolf and other
smaller creatures being substituted for them.
The history of animal life on the globe demon
strates that beasts OF gigantic size do not pre-
serve their existence as speciesfor along period,
| comparatively speaking. Wherever they have
been developed in geologic ages they have been
speedily wiped out During the last year there
has been discovered in the Rocky mountains
a reptile bigger than an elephant, which il
closely allied to the horned toad of the present
day. Like facts are found on every hand to
illustrate how monster species become rapidly
extinct, while those Of smaller size are pre-
served.
"But civilized society has no use for mon.
strous animals In fact, it prefers to destroy
wild beasts and replace them with domesti-
Gated species of utility to man. And there il
| no part OF the world where the OK, the horse
and the sheep flourish more than in the United
States. The breeding of all domestic animals
Is carried on in this country with a success not
excelled elsewhere in the world. In fact, North
and South America are admirably adapted to
the support and propagation of useful beasts
both those for food and those for burden. All
OF them can be raised to any extent desired.
| FOOD IN THE WATER.
"Science, however, teaches that the land IL
not to be the only source of animal food. In
the future the waters are to supply it also. An
produce more food for man than ten acres OF
| dry land. Such is the conclusion reached by
those who have studied the subject with great
| est care-scientific men both here and abroad.
Upon this basis OF knowledge the fish commits
sion OF the United States has been organized by
act OF Congress on the strength of representa-
| tons made by one of the greatest scholars OF
the world-the late Prof. Baird. Also the idea
is being steadily followed up by the state fab
commissions and methods are being progress
lively developed for stocking the waters with
the fishes best adapted for human food.
I'm general way it may be asserted that
North America has possibilities for the susten-
tation OF population beyond the dreams of the
widest statistician. When a virgin country ID
redeemed to agriculture the first half dozen
years OF tlllage give results never reached
again without higher cultivation, which be-
comes necessary after these virgin crops have
been reaped especially for some Of the cereals,
as wheat. But thereafter the permanent prod
uct Of the soil is not destroyed by cropping
On the contrary, by careful husbandry it can
be made to produce food for man at an in
creasinS rate by the steadily improving meth
dds OF cultivation. The vineyards of California
are far more productive than those Of Europe
i, myself, have seen date palms on the Colorado
| river producing fruit never equaled BY the date
palms OF the valley of the Nile. In like manner
all the important agricultural products on which
human life depends can be raised in America
| with success; all the animals of value to man
can be produced in profusion, while the inland
and coastal waters-even the deep seas on
either hand-teem with life ready for our use
| MINES AND MINERALS.
"The resources of this country Of other kinds
are abundant Never has there been ciyiiza.
ton or population on the globe SO great that
| it could exhaust our Mines The discoveries OF
| coal from decade to decade are 30 numerous
| that the current consumption bears to them no
| appreciable comparison. Ores Of iron abound
in all our mountains and the hills are filled
| with other valuable metals. Gold, silver cop
per, lead. zinc and other minerals are 30 plen-
tiful to be. so far we yet know, inc xhausti-
BILE. But the mineral wealth of the country il
even exceeded by the wealth of powers From
| every mountain range and from every group
| of hills streams flow which furnish the forces
required for manufacturing and all other in
| dustral operations. In the early history of
civilization rivers were important as affording
means of communication among people and
they speedily became channel. Of commerce,
! But through the agencies of modern invention
railways have superseded rivers for such pur-
poses and we have all the coal and iron we need
for their construction and maintenance
| "The three greatest valleys Of the world aRri-
culturally speaking, are the Amazon in South
America, the Mississippi in North America and
| the Congo in Africa. The Amazon valley has
over 3, 500, 900 square miles Of land all of which
will yield to the highest civilization an enor-
nous agricultural product The Nississipp;
| valley has about ,225.000 square miles and il
| already yielding great product, though its de-
velopment as yet is hardly begun. The Congo
| valley remains to be redeemed by civilization
it probably contains more than z, OOO, 900 square
miles,
POOR LANDS SETTLED FIRST.
'In the process of civilization on a grand
scale the poorer countries are used first. The
luxuriant natural vegetation of rich soil and
productive climate is an obstacle to q low CIV
| ilization. Man, in an undeveloped condition
| Of civilization, canpot compete with nature.
He cannot destroy the native vegetation, which
grows too vigorously for his powers of eradica-
| ton. and therefore he cannot secure permanent
footing and protection for cultivated plants.
| But, as civilization advances and agricultural