, 1901-09-05
ROOM YET FOR MORE.
POSSIBLE POPULATION OF THE
UNITED STATES.
A Calculation That This Country Can
Maintain Five Hundred Million People.
Civilized Peoples Lands Deer. ase Il"
Ratio to Families.

'N '''' 'N&N'ss '' fNNf~
could be supported: and how many
more people could be provided for by
an increase in invention?" 1t is not
possible to say how much land would
be required to support a single indi-
Vldual anywhere. The census of the
United States for 1900 shows in New
YORK state 1852 persons to a square
mile. or about n to four acres: in
massachusetts, there are about 34S to
a square mile. or about one to two
acres. In Ohio l02 to a square mile;
INT so on down to Nevada. which
mas W square miles for every in
habitant-or over 1,2OO acres for each
man., woman n child in the state.
In the whole United States there are
- Inhabitants to a square mile, or
over ~ acres to each. The New York
average. covering the whole country,
would raise this number about seven
tmes-that is, would establish a Bop
uiation OF about $50, 000. 900. This
would include New York city. The
ohlo average wo" 4 probably be a fair
one; and that wua.l raise the popula-
ton OF the United States to about AGO.
ooO.OOO. 1t does not seem to be an IN
warranted assumption that the United
states can. by proper attention to in
te1isive. or scientific farming Of the
SOIL, by conformity to such laws
as sustain equability OF temperature
n moisture, reach a population of
from 4OO. 900 900 to 300, 600, 900. China
remains an object lesson to lemon
strate an increase quite beyond these
flgures. Under the best existing con-
dltlons in the United States. two acres
are required for each individual; ten
acres for the family of five. In China
we nave found that under best condi-
ions two people can subsist to the
acre. Will a wiser conservatism of
natures forces not slowly increase our
~ance until. with vastly greater
knowledge of the earth's resources
than our Turanian ~neighbors, and
multifold easier access to them, we
shall be able to sustain a population
even larger to the acre, or mile, than
they are now doing? Among the more
civilized races there Is a constantly de-
creasing ratio of lands to families. At
present the United States, especially
the eastern states, furnish a fine illus
tratlon OF this law Of civilization. In
tensive farming is displacing extensive
farming. and that means that, by i'm
proved methods of culture, a family
may get better crops and larger profits
from ten acres than from one hundred
acres by the older and less scientific
culture. Not only is population in
creasing in this way, but the comforts
are multiplying. Selling has taken
the place of pasturing, and the growth
OF mixed crops has supplanted the cul-
tivation Of n or W crops on a large
scale. The advantages are keeping
the land at its best, and decreasing
waste. With intenser culture, and
brains, We believe a family of five can
get a good living from five acres; or
about 100 families from a square mile.
This, of course, is not up to the Chi
nese standard: for at the best few
American farmers fail to waste a good
deal in manures, in harvesting, and in
storage; while the standard Of living
requires larger income. A family of
five requires in the United States for
food. for clothing. for comforts, for
repairs of vehicles and tools, and
wages Of help, not less than $1,000. II
you wish to get at the requirements
Of a single individual you will find
that he must be taken strictly as a
factor in a family. Following the
above line Of argument, We find~that
the state Of New York, with 80, 200, 900
acres, can support 100000 families,
including 80, 00O, 900 individuals, dis
tributed over the whole area. The
United States with 1900, 900, 900 acres.
can sustain by the same estimate
1900, 000. 600 individuals, or $50 900 900
families. But this not taking into our
reckoning arid lands, mining lands.
irreclaimable swamps. very rocky or
mountainous land; lands robbed Of fer
tility by bad filth; and sections too
rough or otherwise unfit for homes.
We shall probably not go far astray
II we reckon under these one-fourth Of
the whole land; although more con-
sentative estimates are 900, 600, 900, or
one-third. II this be so, we once
more come to the conviction that the
possible population of the United
States is. under present conditions.
45O, O00, 0G0 Of individuals. or 80, 900, 600
Of families. New York Indepen-
dent.