Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-03-12
secretary Rrsk on the Future OF Aert-
culture.

culture.
VIII cur soil and methods OF agriculture
Improve 20 a. 10 provide food without diff
Guilty for all our population In 1892
II would take the gift OF prophecy TO an
swrr that inquiry. aud though l bear a
prophets name and am a seventh son I
never found myself gifted In the pscphefic
line. can give you my opinion as 10 the
probable relative production Of this ooun-
try when all IL available land Is subject 10
tilla1r. but who IL going 20 tell me what
our population viii be IA 1892 zee that a
writer IN a rtcent magazine estimates that
II may be I .oo0. 600 600 IN 1870, but cannot
help thinking that In making such an esti-
mate be has INDUCED little too much IN
prophecy for ordinary men endowed with
but the usuhi number Of senses.
As 70 the possible productiveness OF this
country, would not hesitate To affirm that
not more than one-fourfh OF the land avail
allie for ttllsee ia the United States h now
under cultivation Consequently, without
any further improvements in agricultural
methods ard with no more care than Is ex-
ercissd nc present. the mere extension of
tillasre 10 ali the available land would null
tipiy our production fourfoid.
Now, have elrtady more than once cx-
pressed the conviction that the yield per
acre u most Of our staple crops could DO in
creased simply "a the result 81 better farm
inz and tie application Of the best methods
now available b. 20 per cent. Suppose this
liz grove;nent to take place and you hs.vc
skiold iacrraec 81 our present production
Nov, then. much of tie land which remains
~ - brought under cultivation must be
cultivated by fnesns q irrigation or re-
claimed ~ dreina9g. and we know that
y 's..n land ~ cultivated under the condi-
tions necessary 20 make these lands ava =
ale the yield IL greatly in exsezs q that
which - cultivated ~ the ordinary meth
ods
All these factors must be taken into ac-
eoult II estimating our possibl,s future pro-
drcfson. aud ve have no' ytt touched npon
what inventive genius and science may
Discover "a tho interest 81 greater pros!pc-
fion and diminished waste IN the next hum
crei years. but in the light Of what these
ereneies hsre accomplished la the past hun
drs'i ysnrs. whether the population Of this
country a hnrdrrd years hence will bc a
thes<asi million souls or not. l think
have <aid enough 20 relieve your mind q
any anxiety lest your Children or your chill
drens children shonid have % 20 hungry
~ RAtt = TNAN'tfHN iftN@AttAe tNrAfF-t W
United States coil. There i one thing more
you mast rsznenl ber. AMI that j. that Be-
fore our own people 20 hungry we viii
stop sxgorrlns food products. and TIE aver
49, exporta Il The pact year or two would
fsrf quite n number Of hungry young
Afnerick1s
AErxsrs<s exp1rtinE foof products while
10 cre can realize mors thsn / do the I'm
po-s kTcs IT CIR exr.stf trade. wciid u
cosr~> rather $50 crr o~n demand increase
- fke extent 4 c,r~rrifssf all lse nrtsi lcr
NJ hou>. sfst teis snxgas+e - re tist
f6era = zood deal '1s Wild TAX ai,oas
shutting Of comphfsiv all isnmixrafic,
frusn Faros<aa eauntrias n'rrfila.isatisa
~ % tlle ein~s q xrknts thar ~ shoad
welcome - cur she<vs . al very well bat
- nus ne forzes tat this coantsy va
belt up ~ INN sx,-t,on vsry larzeiT. ani
fr ere shall never fs~cr ia eNrtnsfon Of
furae,ers wAo come q this ~oantry With
the htnes. in<sntion ~ beconsfrg American
rifizezas snt, f~fferine sheir coudu "a ia lie
hr boness 4shor
n~sxern yosi srd rs. wter hear reopia
s-uskins shous shs possible slsg,.sslsser.ce ~
the Nnitssl Sfste~ 81 ths ncar future aeon
f,rsien countries ~ - fcs-i surriv ar,
fnrlinesi - Ne = sisnr exnr.ssicn. Ard 3D.
mia thiss tAry make NE very. very tired
J. II RCSK-