Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-02-29
Production and Consumption Of the
Worlds Food.

Production and Consumption Of the
Worlds Food.
Mr.. c. Wood Davis of Goddard, Kan
sas, has given much study to questions
relating to the worlds production and
consumption which have been given to
the public in review art icles and pam
phlets and have commanded wide atten-
ton from students of economies. Mr.
Davis writes forcefully aud intelligently,
but with a decided aversion to all forms
of trade which are carried on for specu
lation purposes, and which he believes
tends to cripple the producer-the
farmers Of the country. In re
cent pamphlet upon the worlds
food production ard consumption,
Mr.. Davis says that being impressed
by the unfaVorable conditions surround
ing agriculture he was led to the con
clusion that, could the relations existing
between population and the food pre-
ducing acreage OF the country, during
each of recent decennial periods be def
nitely ascertained would be valuable
upon which to base future eco.
monte studies. In his Investigations
Mr.. Davis has ascertained that
during the eighth decade the
acreage devoted to the production Of the
primary food staples, consumed by the
bread eating races, increased 1913 per
cent. as against an increase, in the con
suming population, OF 4 per cent, the
increase in the wheat producing area
being lI6 per cent. During the ninth
decade, however, the food producing
area increased but seven per cent. as
against an increase Of "A per cent. in the
dependent populations, the ratio Being as
one is to two. The immense disparity,
however, in the relative increase in pop
| citation and food for man, during the
ninth decade, is made startlingly clear
upon an examination Of the data relating
to the production OF rye and wheat, the
area devoted to such production having
increased but I per cent while the con-
suming population increased IA per cent,
the ratio being rs one is to ten.
OF the 30 900 900 acres added to the
worlds food, producing areas during the
ninth decade no less than y 900 900 were
found to be in the fields of the nited
States producing corn and oats. While
the wheat fields Of the world increased
- 900, 900 acres during the eight decade
with an increase in the consuming pop
uiation Of Al 900 GOO, they increased but
O00. 900 acres COR but one-sixth as much
during the ninth. although the bread
eating populations Increased 100000
during that decade. While the additions
TO the populations Of European blood
are progressively increasing the area
producing the food consumed by such
peoples increases not only at rate con
stantly diminishing, but the yearly
aggregate OF such increase grows less
and less while that OF population grows
greater and greater hence the existing
divergence continues to widen facts
showing that while the worlds area
devoted to grain and potatoes increased
~ 800, 600 acres during the eighth decade
it augmented but 30 eco 900 during the
ninth decsd de, the ratio being as twelve
and half is to seven.
Ore of the most rems rkable OF the
maoy remarkable facts developed by
these Investigations is that Of the 100,
800 900 acres added to the worlds food
producing areas during the last twenty
years, no less than -, 100 COO Sl.1 per
cent were contributed by the I nitcd
States, and while we contributed 81
per cent of the acreage it is significant
that we contributed but p per cent. to
the consuming populations. In other
words. while the brcad-eating world re
Quired-in order to provide the same per
capita supply of food as was furnished
in the latter part of the seventh and the
earlier part of the eighth decade, when
prices were remunerstive addition,
during the eighth decade. OF - 600 000 |
acres, there was added in the United |
States alone - 100000 being nearly
enough to meet the augmenting require |
ments Of the whole bread-aating world |
In order that the supply should be main |
tanned at the level of that period -lSG6 |
to ls7i--when the gold price of whest |
in the markets of Britain averaged s 20
per busbel.
While the nited States were adding |
81, 200 .0o0 acres to the area producing |
the primary food staples, 9,3775, 900 acres
were added in other graiu-producipg
countries; thus at the end of the eighth
decade the world had nearly 5000, 900
acres (or II per cent in excess of its
requirements, the result being aecumu-
lations OF grain, descending scale of
prices, diminishing returns for the cul
.ivstor, thereby greatly lessening his
ability to purchase the products Of others
This excessive increase Of food produc.
ing area continued during the earlier
years of the ninth decade, but the world
having long been dependent upon the
[ nited States for the required additions.
ust as soon as our ability to make such
additions was greatly diminished by he
approaching exhaustion OF the arsble
lands las happened about the mid
lie of the decade Just so soon the
worlds additions became less than re-
luired to provide the l.37 acres found to
have been the per capita quota of the
Dresd-esters when the price of wheat, in
Britain. was maintained at the level of
81 20 per bushel.
Only in one year <iSS.) since 1884 has
The worlds production of wheat equalIed
The years consumption, part of the
needed supplies being drawn from re
serves accumulated during previous
years and that are row exhausted T.
Whereas the quantity of land devoted to
the production of the primary food
staples in 1870, and near by years,