The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-10-10
CLIMATE AND CROPS.
HOW THE FOOD SUPPLIES or THE
EARTH ARE REGULATED.


Java's Population.
How much room is there still on th,e
earth for mankind? This is q question
which Is often raised and which is an
swered in a great many different WAYS
As all food is either directly or indirect.
ly derived from the vegetable kingdom,
and the plants need the light and the
heat of the sun. the question as to how
the light and heat are distributed is an
important me-. If we assume (which is
true) that only 60 per cent Of the heat OF
the sun reaches the earth, the remainder
being absorbed by the atmosphere, then
ATTITUDES 20 degrees north and south will
receive 90 per cent; 40 degrees north and
south, So per cent; 60 degrees north and
south. 40 per cent, and the poles only I;
per cent of the heat received at the equa-
tor. Therefore the countries which on
account of the amount Of heat received
are in the most favorable circumstances
to produce a great amount of vegetable
food lie in the tropics. provided the
other condition of plant life is found
that is, dampness.
In Europe people were particularly
impressed with the information commu-
nicated by Humboldt, on his return
from his American journey, concerning
the great amount Of food furnished BY
the banana in tropical countries. It was
later proved, however, that the distin-
guished naturalist was mistaken, first,
in ascribing so high state of productive
ness to the banana, and, second. because
the banana is not generally suitable to
be used as the principal food for man.
As the grains are cultivated wherever
agriculture is advanced, in the damp
parts of south and east Asia we find
rice, in the dry parts Of India and the
greater part Of tropical Africa, millet
and sage, and in tropical America, prin.
cipally corn.
The banana is even less fitted to fur
nish the staple food than the potato. As
an accessory, however, like the potato in
the wealthy countries of Europe and
North America, it is very important. AS
a dense population is only possible where |
there is a certain amount of cultivation, |
we must keep in mind the experience of
many thousand years and accept the
grains as the base of nourishment.
The Little Antilles and Mascarene is
lands are of intense fertility and export
a great deal of sugar and import not |
only industrial products, but a good deal !
of foodstuff. The ground, therefore, |
does not directly nourish the population.
Several parts of India export foodstuffs,
there is no trustworthy information
as to the interior commerce in these
products. Tonquin has too lately been
annexed to France to obtain trustworthy
statistics. Java, with Madura, is alone
suited to on statistical necessities.
This country is sufficiently large, it
furnishes good statistics of agriculture
and commerce, and the imports and ex-
ports are carefully registered. The pop
1lation Is about as dense as in Belgium
md Saxony, but life is supported under
very different circumstances. Saxony
and Belgium import foodstuffs and ey-
mineral and manufactured prod
lets. Java imports a very small amount
rice and salt fish and exports many
nora agricultural products. 1t not only
supplies its W people with food, but
1t possible to buy mineral and
manufactured products. 1t might be
imposed chat this immense population
would be divided in a certain proportion
N the island. and either that its increase
you'd be small, as in France and Bel
1um, or else there would be a large
as from Great Britain or
Germany.
Neither case is true. Emigration is
known. The population in
reases at the rate Of l per cent a e
its distribution varies SO greatly :
IN the eastern portion there are
ewer people than in the s,sampy PROV
ace Of Minsk, in Russia, and in the {
entral part there are almost twice as !
lany people as in Belgium and Saxony, /
nd yet ~ per cent Of the population in /,
part of the island live by agricul- |
ire. Rice Is the staple, and the statistics /,
23S Kilograms to each inhabitant. {
My about 10 per cen of the surface of {
he island is devoted to the culture of Z
ce. This is still in q very primitive |
ate, but the government has taken il =
p, n the production will be greatly S
Java is a mountainous couu- l
y, but these mountains are not high,
the rainfall is great, and rice can be
On 80 per cent of the surface
r the first crop and 10 per cent for the
cond. We have therefore a possible c
of the cultivation Of rice to 8
sOO 1000 hectares. An average crop to n
Is amount Of acreage would support II
DOC, 200 people. D
The surface of Java could be divided p
this Thirty per cent of the G,
ster surface would produce rice, vege- p
bles, breadfruit and agricultural ex- \,
rts. Fifteen per cent, not watered, Bi
'uld produce breadfruit and agricul-
raj exports; eight per cent, not water
coffee and tea plantations: two per
ut, watered, sugar cane. There would ba
sn be left 4j per cent for forests, gar M q
as, meadows, waters, roads and dwell
q. The people of Java need not then !
condemned to live on rice alone.
are very important and neoessary