Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-06
FINDS WAY TO DOUBLE
FARM ACREAGE WITHOUT
HARMiNG FOREST LANDS

BY the elimination of the horse and
the utilization OF the swamp lands the
farming acreage of the country can be
doubled without touching the forests
or other idle lands of the country. If
but one-half of the land be counted as
available or farms ninety years hence
| there will be five acres for every two
persons in the country, something more
than five times what the Chinese
have now.
There are indications that the de-
mand upon the farms will change in
character. While the American peo-
pie are not likely to become strict
vegetarians within the space of ninety
years, they probably will eat much
less meat in proportion to population
than they now consume. Medical sci
ence and economy will unite to bring
about changed conditions on this line
1t has been demonstrated that for
every bit of animal food eaten there
is vegetable counterpart. Vegeta-
rtan races have a capacity for endur-
ance which equals, If 1t does not sur
pass, that of the meat eaters. The
economist will urge that the lost mo-
ton" expanded In growing cattle for
food be conserved.
We eat porterhouse steaks at % cents
a pound when we might buy beans at
SCfitS a POulu, lHSIe is IllOTS nu-
triton in the pound OF beans than In
the pound of beef. II requires four
years to grow single good beef steer.
Under the most favorable conditions 1t
requires the products of six acres of
land for one summer to make him
ready for the block. When prepared
for the table his flesh will furnish a
single meal for about 1900 persons
The same six acres of ground would
have grown enough beans to feed 49,
900 people one meal. And the beam
eaters would have derived more
strength and nourishment from their
food than the beef eaters.
The mathematical theories of the
economist are never realized in actual
life and never will be, but there is no
doubt that the American people In the
coming ninety years will learn to save
much that now goes to waste. The
housewives of the American farm throw
away more cooked food each year than
is consumed by their sisters of Russia
! Who has not sat at the board OF
farmer upon which was heaped enough
food for company of soldiers? Such
wanton waste as that will be stopped
Another great saving that is coming
will be brought about by better knowl-
| edge of the science of cooking The
farmers wife of the latter end of the
century will prepare her meals on an
electric range-wood is too valuable to
burn-and she will prepare only enough
for the needs of her family. The food
will be better prepared than it is nova
| days In the aerage home, and its whole
someness will make more of 1t avail
able for the uses of the body. A little
well cooked food Is better than much
poorly cooked food. The girls of the
next fin de sicle period will be taught
to cook scientifically, and they will be
taught how not to waste.
Long before the year 1000 rolls around
the farmer will have reached a position
of social and economical dignity which
will have stopped the eager race from
the farm to the city which is now the
curse of so many thousands of young
men. In that day the colleges and uni
versities will devote more attention to
training the essential agriculturist than
to turning out the nonessential lawyer.
With a good education, with the world
brought to his dooryard through the
agency of electricity, with his command
of the financial situation through his
cooperation with his fellows, the far
mer of the year 1000 will be the fore
most man in our full grown republic.
Copyright. 1908, by Frederic j. Haskin.)
Tomorrow-when America Is Grown
Manufactures