Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-10-07

primary one OF the bare maintenance
|of life The food prob EN- itself has
numerous collateral issues, but for
the sake Of simplicity we may here
'consider only the matter of bread
Where and how are we TO obtain
loaves enough to feed these coming
millions.
The average yearly consumption
.of wheat per capita varies considera-
bly, with seasons and prices, but it
rises steadily with our constantly ad-
vancing standard of comfort For the
last three years it has been either
Slightly under or slightly over seven
bushels for bread and seed. Suppose
that it is six and one-half bushels
per capita which is certainly within
the mark. 1t will then require, unless
we are to fall to a lower scale of liv-
ing, a total product of 1900, 900. 600
bushels of wheat for our bread supply
III we did not export any. From 1880
Ito 1906 inclusive, our crop averaged
21,73S,000 bushels annually Twice
only in our history have we exceeded
the 700,0O0,000 bushels mark. 1t is
fair TO say hat $50 100000 bushels is
our present average capacity. OF
course. with increasing population
may come a somewhat increased total
production, though it will not advance
Jas rapidly as many suppose. We
grew 504 1854 bushels in 1882.
90 100000 and 634,087,0o0 bushels in
1907, twenty-five years later. The in
crease in wheat yield, during these
years when much of the new lands of
the West was being brought under
the pillow was little over 25 per
cent, while population increased 49,
600 900, or over 63 per cent. Obvi-
ously supply and demand for bread
will not keep pace through the work
ing of any law of nature.
Moreover, the increase of possible
wheat yield by increasing acreage is
limited We have no longer an I'M
limited public domain awaiting the
pillow. There will be some grown up
on reclaimed arid land, though this
| is mostly devoted to the raising of
fruit and fodder plants. There will be
some land drained. and there are a
flew acres of public lands left where
wheat may be raised. But a denser
population makes new demands upon
the soil; and it is more likely on the
whole that the wheat acreage will be
reduced, for raising all the other com
lmodities consumed by two hundred
million people, than that it will be en-
Ilarged Nothing but a material rise
in price could accomplish this; and
1--we may, perhaps, assume that a
steady and certain price of one dol
lar or a dollar and a quarter per
bushel for wheat may raise our total
annual product to 900.000,000 bushels,
which would be fifty per cent more
than it's present average This is the
extreme limit of probability. The
country could under present methods
do no more unless it took land just
as necessary for other purposes and
devoted it to wheat raising In that
case it would only. initiate the man
who tried to make the lega of his
trousers longer by cutting strips off
the bottom and sewing them around
1.-The waistbGnd. We are left, practic-
/ ally, with a shortage of 400 100000
bushels in our wheat supply. even
Surprising that we consume every
grain that we raise. This amount
we should have to procure from some
lother source Where are we to get
lin. and how is it to be paid for2
Canada can send us something, but
mot much BY that time her own
population will have grown, and her
needs with it, and so viii the demand
of all the rest of the world Russia
and India and Argentina and Austria
lila together are scarcely keeping up
with the worlds present necessities
Wheat bread and a high civilization
go together; and as labor conditions
Everywhere improve more and more
people who once lived on black bread
or rice will have the white loaf But
fif We grant that the additional 400
| 900 600 bushels of wheat will be sup
piled from some now undetermined
source. wherewith shall the bill be
paid? We may assume that, by that
time, an average price of a dollar and
la quarter per bushel will prevail
This will leave us debtor to somebody
lin international trade 10 the amount
iof $500 100000 We must be pre-
pared 10 send abroad that amount OF
some commodity TO foot the bill We
mus also make good the deficit oc
lcasioned by the cessation OF our ex
ports of breadsuffs and provisions
lin the year ending June 80. 1908. we
Iexvoried wheat and wheat -four o tie
value. in round numbers, of & &.
600 geo That viii be cut of SO We
Ishall have to find nearly 800 900 00G
lin all TO pay our food bin That is
lone-third of the value Of our entire
Iexports in the year 1903.
we cannot raise this vast amoun
annually by increasing exports. Al
READY the products Of he soil. tbs
/ minerals and oils taken from tn
earth and such raw materials a.
leather and lumber, drawn immedl
ately from earths products, constitute
two thirds OF our entire export trad
| The whole OF our exports OF manu-
E 49,, ~.r~.E..gs~ r.