The sun., 1893-07-08

partment Of Agriculture. there is strong pre-
sumptlve evidence that the acreaRe is now
| much less than in 1885 The Illinois and Iowa
State reports show decrease In the two states
OF more than 100000 acres. while Kansas
has. within three years. diverted more than
| 100000 acres OF Its corn folds to wheat
Tho census affords material for somo start
ling comparisons in relationto crop distribu-
tion. The corn area OF the Atlantic States
north Of the Potomac in 1850, was o75.ooo
acres, or 10 per cent. less than in 1874 The
| lake States show a diminution OF 1.163.OO0
| acres, nlthou gh small additions were made TO
tho area In Michigan and Wisconsin which
partially Offset great losses in Illinois. 1ndi-
ana. and Ohio. South Of the Potomac and
| Ohio. and east OF the Mississippi. there WAS no
material change shown in q net gain OF $4,000
acres. or three-tcnths Of one per cent Every
group OF States west OF the Mississippi shows
| gains. Texas, Arkansas. and Louisiana. with
i oklahoma, add 10J4,o00 acres. while tho
Missouri Valley States. Missouri. Iowa. Kan
| sas. Nebraska. Minnesota, and the Da-
kotas. add some 1O,335.o00 acres. q part
| of which have since been diverted to meadows
| orchards, oat fields. and pastures to meet the
! progressively increasing demands OF tho town
| populations. The Pacific and mountain areas
arc OF no importance in this respect. ns the
eleven States and Territories had but 255. 900
acres employed In corn growing In 1880. Single
counties In the Missouri Valley produce
more corn than that East OF the Mississippi
and north OF tho Potomac and Ohio. the net
loss was 1,7S0.000 acres this diversion to
other products being necesstated by the
progressively increasing requirements OF
rapidly augmenting urban population for
other products. especially those OF the dairy
and such ms are required by animals kept for
draft and pleasure.
The corn area ceased to expand about eight
years ago. The surplus in primary and Sec
ondnry form is rapidly diminishing. as Is
plainly shown by tho decrease OF the per
capita quota Of corn land from 1.32 to 1O7. or
10 per cent. These facts have escaped the at
tcntion Of those engaged in making political
capital out OF meat inspection and maize
propaganda. They have been too busy to In
stitute such an investigation rs would have
shown that enlarged markets were useless
when tho product to be marketed was SO rap
idly cornered by the home demand.
No better evidence OF rapidly diminishing
area. relatively to tho demand could be de.
sired than is afforded by the current price Of
hogs and pork products Tho advance since
1901 In every form Of pork has been fully
100 per cent. The advance hns not as hereto
fore, followed from and after short corn crop.
but after the harvesting. In 1901. ofthe second
largest crop ever grown; and 1t is directly due
to the absence OF any addition to tho corn area
and the number OF hog growers since 1856.
Hogs imply acres OF corn. AS declines the per
cRrita supply OF corn. so will decline the COM
mercial supply OF swine Swine furnishing
the vehicle that has carried abroad n worry large
part OF our corn. and Europe needing all the
hogs that We can furnish. there would appear
no very urgent demand for maize propa ganda
unless required for the evolution Of political
capital OF some particular brand.
From 1890 to 1890 the annual average pro.
duction Of corn equaled 30.3 bushels per cap
ita. OF this some IL per cent. was exported.
the residue being equal to u bushels per an
nun for each unit Of the population. AS the
average yield per acre was "a bushels, the
land employed in growing corn for the domes-
tically consumed hog. hominy. hoe cake. dodg-
er. and whlskey was equal to one acre and one
eighth per capita.
The population to be supplied from the
growing crop will number at least %. SOC. .OOO
and the requirements. with no more than av-
erage yields will be equal to the product OF
7GOOO.OOU acres or 5.4OO.0OO more than were
employed in 1892. II the increase Of area is
not greater than Is now promised we must
other have yields largely above the average.
or our people must eat and drink less. or there
will be no very large cake for the apostle to Of
fer to his friends upon his return to Europe
MS SOncluslon seems unaVOldADlo IN view or
the diminishing acreage and the yearly aug
mcntation of the home population by l.
100000. the now population absor bing the
product of about 100000 acres moro from
year to year. II We are to supply Europe with
the Same proportion OF anl NAL products as In
the ninth decade. shipping nc grain whatever.
the per capita requirements will be one acre
and quarter. and wo should now have 3d. |
600 900 acres under corn instead OF the H. |
100000. which seems to be the greatest area |
possible In 1893.
Relatively to the population. the corn acre. |
age has In six years shrunken 10 per cent. |
Should the shrinkage be as great during the |
coming six years, the population ut the close Of |
the century will have less than twenty bushels |
per capita as against yearly domestic con-
sumption of twcnty-sevcn bushels por oarita |
since 1880. In such an event what will be the |
value OF extended foreign markets2
At the present rate Of progression 1t would |
appear that those engaged in this somewhat |
expensive cake walk can soon carry all the |
hoe cake we shall have to spare in a very small |
handbag. c. WooD DAVIS.
PEoToNE. Kan. July /.