Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-31
WORLDS DEMAND FOR WHEAT.

The American farmer appears to
have the habit of disappointing the
statisticians and the theorists who
spend a great deal of time preparing
predictions for the future, based on
past performances. Had the farmer
accepted these predictions as a guide
most of the civilized world would be
going hungry today, or finding some
substitute for wheat and other cereal
products. Some ten years ago Sir
William Crookes, admittedly one OF the
most eminent of scientists, delivered an
address before the British Association
for the Advancement of Science, in
which he predicted that before a third
of the twentieth century had passed
the wheat supply of the world would
fall 40 short of the demand that the
people would be faced with danger of
starvation, unless resort was had TO
food substitutes prepared in the
laboratory. In the course of his adj
dress, Sir william said:
Practically there remains no uncultivated
nrairie land in the United States suitable
for wheat growing. The virgin land has
been rspidly absorbed, until at present
there Is no land left for wheat without
reducing the area for maize, hay and
other necessary crops. 1t is almost Ger
tain that within a generation the ever
increasing population of the United States
will consume all the wheat grown withln
its borders, and will be driven to import
and. like ourselves, will scramble for a
lions share of the wheat crop of the
world.
The population Of the United States
has grown even more rapidly than Sir
William predicted and yet the facts
show that the country has more wheat
than it needs for home consumption
and is annually exporting something
like 200, 600, 900 bushels, as compared
with 5000, 900 bushels in 1866 and
100, OOO, 900 bushels ten years ago.
The nations wheat crop, up to 1870,
had never exceeded 191, 900 1000 bush
els. 1t exceeded 735,OOO,O 900 bushels
in 1907 and will be very considerably
larger than that this year.
II is estimated that the bread-eating
countries of the world now consume
about 5000, 900, 900 bushels of wheat
annually and it is interesting, If not
also surprising, to note that the per
capita consumption of wheat in the
| United States is less than that In al
most any other country, being but 275
pounds per annum as against Ala
pounds in France. This is explained
perhaps, by the large use of corn as
a bread in the south. The worlds
| consumption of wheat has increased
about 100, 900, 900 bushels a year for
the last ten years, the United States
leading in the increase. The wheat
consuming countries, outside of the
United States, have to import about
500, 900, 900 bushels of wheat an
nually and this country is supplying
from one-quarter to one-third of that
II takes about 500, 900, 900 bushels an
nuaIly to supply the home demand fol
wheat, leaving the balance for export
Sir William Crookes' statement tina
the wheat belt al been practically de
! termined in this country is nearer &C
curate than some of his predictions. II
1ssS there were $4,000, 900 acres ii
the United States devoted to whea
culture, while the acreage last yea.
was $4,000 900. The yield per acre
however, is being constantly increased
having risen from an average of IL
TO IA bushels per acre from 1898 Il
1907. This is u largely to the de
velopment OF irrigation and TO i'm
proved farming methods. While thu
area suitable for wheat culture ma.
not be materially enlarged, the in
proved methods OF farming, the nur
ture and protection Of the soil and tn
general improvement in seed and Il
harvest methods hold a promise tina
the American farmers will keep tn