The sun., 1894-05-06

TO diminish rather than Increase
Some rice mar come from the Indo-Chinese
peninsula, but other than rice. tee. coffee, and
spices. and such whoat as india can spare.
eastern Asia and the Malay Archipelago will
contribute but little to the food supply OF the
western populations.
When the irrigation works Of the Assyrians
shall have been reconstructed and social and
political conditions greatly improved Meso-
| potamia and Anatolla may make such contri-
buttons TO the food supply Of Europe as Will
| provide for one or two years additions to
tho bread eating populations. but this Will be
work OF many years aid come no sooner
| than necessary.
Northern Africa was the granary OF Rome.
but now exports loss than 5000. 600 bushels OF
wheat annually and there is little prospect OF
| the quantity increasing much or rapidly. The
cultivable area OF Egypt is capable oil little ex-
| pansion. although the productive power In
creases slowly by reason OF the extension oil
| irrigation over the districts formerly watered
| by submergence basins still. the cereal con-
| tributIons OF Egypt decrease because OF an In
! crease OF the domestic population. and no
Increase is possible unless the cotton fields OF
the delta shall be diverted to grain growing.
which is altogether improbable.
| Algeria and Tunis ultimately may increase
| their contributions In the equivalent OF the
food requirements Of q years addition to the
| European races although the lands now be-
ing reclaimed are nearly all being devoted to
the production OF wine. for which brisk de-
| mand exists.
| South Africa is an importer OF breadstuns.
| and while there Ia much land In the Boer re-
| publIcs ndnpted to grain culture yet the re-
| rion in South Africa known to be suitable for
| cereals does not exceed In potential produce
| tive power one Of our best agricultural states.
and the most that can be hoped from this region
is that It will ultimately send to Europe food
equal to the requirements Of one years addi-
tlon to the bread eating populations, and pro-
| vide homes for a considerable migration. Even
in pa rts Of Cane COLONY. as we'll as In the Dutch
REPUBLICS insect deprsdationa render 1t i'm
practicable to store grain. and without grain
storage there can be little hope for large ex-
ports. Gold mining will hasten the agricul-
tural development OF South Africa.
Great claims have been set up in relation to
the fertility and salubrity OF Mashonalsnd
the Shire highlands and tho Kikuyu plateau.
| and tho adaptation OF those regions to cereal
culture and as spheres OF European coloniza-
ton. SO competent an authority ss the Ger
man explorer, DR.. Peters expresses the
opinion however. that only an inflnitesimal
| norton OF tropieal Africa is suited to Euro
| mean colonization. Although Commander
| Cameron found the Arab traders growing
| matches OF wheat on the lake highlands and
| EXPRESSED the belief that It would thrive upon
| tho highlands OF Bih6 and Bailunda, there Is
nothing more certain than that wheat culture
has never extended over any area where the
banana ripens. as It does over all Central
| Africa. except limited areas Of great elevation
| The African cereals nre dhoura and maize
md the dense populations OF the better maize
| growing districts are unlikely to have n sur
| plus for export, even were clima alto conditions
| such as admit OF storage and transport
| Australia affords a fertile field for specula-
tion respscting its potential power to contrib
ute TO tho worlds supply Of bread and meat
while furnishing an outlet for tho redundant
| pooulation, OF the West
| The arabia lands OF Australia ara included
| in A narrow seaboard belt. and the areas
| adapted TO cereal culture are found only in tho
| soutbern tvo-nftbs OF the littoral. which where
not covered BY the impenetrable scrub" are
fairly we'll occupied for AGRICULTURAL or pastoral
| nurnoses hut the longtime pastoral leases
| ara lansing and the lands gradually becom-
| inc available for An extension OF the cul-
tiyated area. This Is n slow process. how
| aver and tho area under cereals has
| shown no increase since 1887. all the
| new lands brought under the plough being
| Jeyoted TO grass the vine and minor cul-
| lures. Still Australia will, for many years.
afford an outlet for a nsidera ble i'm migration
| that will find remunerative employment In
growing bread and meat for the Western popu-
lations but such contributions are never likely
to exceed an equivalent OF the total food re-
auirements OF two or three years additions to
the populations OF European blood.
The Canadian Northwest has been held In
terrorism over the heads Of American wheat
growers and the preposterous claim set up
that It included from 200 600. 900 to 500 600 900
acres capable OF producing profitable'crops OF
wheat. those voicinS these fabulous tales not
knowing that the areas actually employed In
both the temperate zones In growing all staple
food crops aggregated no more than $50. .oOo.-
900 acres. and that In no country had
more than per cent OF the area
ever been devoted to wheat culture.
These hypothetical possibilities have thus
far materialized In cultivated area OF ,SO0.-
600 acres. of which l.lOo.Ooo are employed In
producing crops OF wheat that average about