Putnam patriot., 1909-10-08
The Wheat Supply.

Occasionally experts ,iiguring on pres ent conditions predict that one thing or another of need for the existence of the human family, will run out within SO many years-mentioning the . Ts ' hnut hundred years ar ~ @'aseS- Ao.... 70, when the area of bituminous coal was supposed to be limited to the supply then known -a prediction was made that about this time the world would be about out of "stone coal" as hard coal was then called, could be used as fuel. Then came the discovery of new areas of both soft an Il hard coal-this country has in- creased the supply Il hundred-fold, and Alaska alone Is believed to have coal sufficient to last the world thousand years, Then Asia and Africa are yet to be exploited, where, no doubt the coal area will be more than doubled, to say nothing of Australasia and other islands. Again, We can add petroleum, which is no insignificant contribution to the fuel used to day for heat produc ing in steam engines on railroads and steamers.
 We pass over articles of smaller im- portanee, Of which the exhaustion was To be severely felt, but which have gone on increasing.
 
 We come next to forestry, which sci entiiie experts have demonstrated that, unless the present unnecessary desiruc- will be, In no great length of time, de nuded of trees, depriving the country of lumber, and, worse than that, de- stroying by fierce floods the rich noun tain sides, hills and valleys of their rich soil into the sea, In such fierce tor rents as to sweep to destruction towns, villages and cities, as has been going on in China for more than a century from the same cause, by which millions of people have occasionally perished. It may be said that similar disasters are already being witnessed, on smaller scale, in this country, pretending the more dire consequences yet to be if the present forest waste is permitted To 40 on.
 Happily for the nation the American people are intelligent, and only have to be taught the danger, the need of in- dividual and public duty and effort to avert every such threatened danger, 10 have The work of preservation and re- novation undertaken and thoroughly carried into effect.
 The work ot arousiug interest and educating and instructing the people is now going on in the proper form through the prompt and energetic ac- lion of our well-eonstituted andenlight- tened National Government, in co-ope- ration with the State governments. IL was an inspiration that gave start to The movement 10 conserve the natural resources of the nation. and which now includes the entire continent. IL Is great stride in bringing about the pre- ssrvatioa of the eaantry's present for ests, has aroused national interest, and the people are gladly learning taal there Is simple system not only 10 retain the forest area thai remains, but to increase its production 50 that the amount of tameer needed may be con stsntly supplied and increased without decreasing the forests yield. IL will lead to the renos alton of the forests on the dennded mountains and hills, check the destructive torrents, recsoihc with verdstre the wasle side hills, and sup ply steady How of water on streams where manufacturing Is carried on. and avoid that increasing less of power thai Is going an hecause of the unchscl : sd llow in destsuetixe fsesheSe shat sss