New-York tribune., 1909-10-29
]. ]. HILLS WARNING
STOP FARM WASTE.
Sol Nay Not Support Popu-
IdtioR by 1850, He Says.

Land without population is L wilder
ness ard population without land is =
u1ob.
This is the statement with which James
ElI. the railroad builder OF the North
,est begins IN The Worlds Work" OF
November series OF articles on High.
WAYS os Progress" From the former OF
,aese balanced conditions above the coun-
ssy has been wrested; toward the latter,
according 10 Mr.. hin, It is swiftly moving.
f!is reason IS that American farmers ars
Vlunderins the soil. Each year the cul-
,iyaIed American acreage IS yielding a
relatively smaller return. He points out
thai Il is only = matter Of time when the
rapidly growing population VIII be occupy
f2g q depleted soil. from which II can no
longer be fed Importation OF food sup
plies. emigration Of Americas more ener-
ge,ic citizens. general poverty, he predicts,
mus -oIlow unless the present wasteful
agricultural methods are checked
What We Must Do To Be Fed Mr.
Ill announces as the title OF his article.
lie solves The problem thus:
The value OF our annual farm product IS
nov ABOUT e, 60, ,e9aeoo. II might easily be
doubled. When the forests are all cut
dow and the mines are nothing but empty
holes .u the ground. the farm lands OF the
country VIII remain capable OF renewing
proper treatment To provide this, a
matter OF self-interest and of national
safety. IS the most imperative present duty
of our people Indolence, bad farming
methods, greed and the idea that It needs
10 brains 10 run q farm have prevented
agriculture from taxing Its true place in
TIE national life and multiplying the value
al bo-h the soil and its product They
T-oErsss Of new ideas The armed fleets of
a enemy approaching our harboTs would
he Do more alarming than the relentless
a Of 3 hon va Oh u E1E
neither sufficient food nor the means TO
FU-ct ase Il Tor our population. The farm
ers lI the nation must save II in the tut
ere. just as they built its greatness IN the
past
"a brief. Mr. Hiu recommends the small
farm lntensively cultivated by men Of prac-
rcal, scientific training. Dr. Samuel john
sons warning 10 Spain one hundred and
Efry years ago is cited, IN which that
Treasure seeking country is compared un-
favocably with vine growing France.
.S-sin.'' says Mr. HILL sis to-day q beggar
among the nations. To the fruit OF the
sine France has added thousand other
products OF iJs fertile fields and gardens,
l-r still its main reliance iseupon agricult-
U-aI wealth. II has made it the greatest
creditor - the world"
Ia SIMILAR way Mr. IIilI compares
ta-sfty Germany aud her carefully con-
p
where hosts OF idle men are asking an op-
fl-r4-lty for work. and there is for them
nothing but charity. Referring TO Ameri-
can lald laws, he says:
r~ the e~st time in the history OF this
country thousands Of farmers from states
Ike Toaa- Kansas. Missouri, Michigan,
wisconsin and Minnesota are seeking
homes lu tie Canadian NoTtnWes+, OWING
% rre ehezu lands offered there and the
l.@cglr- OF securing such lands in the
--u5tea States Toward saving supply
-ar lie future something Is now btl-s
done We are ~ least saving at the splgQl
enough Te have not quit wasting Al the
lur- -s'e we are spending great sums
70 Transform worthless lands into orcharus
anc gardens by the work OF the hecl1Iltla-
tiun Service we still retain as 10 otneF
areas tfz and laws under which FOR 50
Enany years The great heritage or the peo-
re has been passing SO largely INTO u---
worthy hands
lie dwe-s on the advantages Of intensive
t-r-liEE, and the improved conditions Whlcn
make life in the rural districts more attrac-
i've today. Keep the children on the farm
e pleads Give them good educations. but
ia ADDITION lie would instil IN their minds
z deep respect for work on the land as an
honorable and desirable career. He praises
lie aE-lcuItural college, but declares en-
-LallcaIly. we cannot wait for the agri-
Cl.t1raI college, because the emergency Is
one not for tie next generation, but for
-rlz" He would build one or two less war
SHIPS annually. and with the amount saved
start each year at least thousand model
.4r-uz. Of from forty 10 sixty acres each.
He would have one eventually in each agrl-
cultural county in the country, in charge
a1 a r-4iued man. with a system Of general
e. e-1ut tendeuts, each over group OF coun-
L-z
L51k---g into the future, the writer con
fl=r-y predicts = population or @y1epl,e9
a. The United States by the middle OF the
Present century OF the problem Of feed
.ae-a la says.
-l- average searly consumption Of wheat
capita varies cCLaloeraDlF win sra
a-- lt-ces' @ 11L I. - L@se5 80 5i.-5 ~ Coro
..- Er- ma Ia-- HEree years II has Deen
e-r.=r signify under OF flighlIy over sgES-- 80
u .z six and one-half bushels per capita.
which IS carJainiv within the marx II VII
Chen require. unless VIC ere 10 az - :
-s.a l..--i bushels OF wheat for our bread
-rr.rr II --r 40 not export any. From lsD
I-E inclusive. our crop averaged 5-t'-
7."y l els annually. Twice only IN our
story isEH we exceeded t"e.y'hpe' Dus tlvle-
j. jz fafr 30 say tuat G59,pjervJ DuShels IS
present average caPaI.lts. ~ ~ r, coL['.,
ni-l an Increasing population may come a
-.---1. -sf increased Lolo- 30 i; cio1'5 ~
----- r WIZ net advance - LStLo-s, a. a.
many suppose. We grew ;s5+,Leo-49 pusieis
s.- Hlfu our population was Itt-S
over 5 and 63+.oS1,o10 busheis IN 4St'
twenty-five EedTs later. The increase n
wheat .lell during these years, WAeh lLl1ch
~ lie leU land OF the West was Dslhs
brought under the plough. vas httIe over
= per cent while population increased 9o'-
"alr l- oyer - per cent O5FlOuSly, LiS
Supply and demand Of bread VIII not keep
lars through Lhe working Of any Ia" OF
nature
3lr Hlu finds that after consuming every
grain raised here, the country would be
confronted yaIth a shortage Of zoo,000,0oo
t--le.-. Searching the fields Of the world,
-4 a1ds nowhere present promise Of that
amount of surplus. Ia another ten years
He fears the United States may become
tI-eat importing nation. Moreover, we could
DO: pay for that 800 600, 900 bushels He
says
u IS NOT a rash statement, II We have 10
sIep iuto the markets or the world ana
tuy 4ag.sp,y9 bushels. We should nave u
Day 81 - bushei and perhaps more.
~ here Is the money 10 come ron ~
fle gcar ended June -, 1875, we exported
heat and wheat nOuI 10 the value, lll
round numbers, Of Slb4.ppp.@e- That VIII
lae cut on 80 must find over Sibe--
VN,gu II al 10 Day our bread lili. 1.at
g oue-th.rd OF tie value Of our entire eX-
ports in the Eear 1913