Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-16
o last beyond the middle of the present

century.
The supply Of stone, clay. cement. lime.
sand and salt is ample. while the stock of
the precious metals and of copper. lead,
zinc. sulphur asphalt. graphite. quicksil-
yer, mica and the rare metals cannot well
be estimated, but is clearly exhaustible
within one to three centuries unless un-
expected deposits be found
Petroleum and Gas Supply.
The known supply of petroleum is esti-
mated at $4,000, 100000 to 10000, 600. 900
barrels. The production is rapidly increas-
ing, while the waste and the loss through
misuse are enormous. The supply cannot
be expected to last beyond the middle Of
the present century.
an area of 5000 square miles, distributed
through twenty-five states. OF the total
yield during 1907 from these fields. 4Oo,-
00O, OtO.DO0 cubic feet. valued at S6LOD0,O o.
were utilized while an equal quantity was
allowed to escape into the air. The daily
waste of natural gas-the most perfect
known fuel-is over 1.OOO.OOO.OOO cubic
feet. or enough to supply every city In the
United States of over 100000 population.
The total land area of continental
United States Is 1900. 100000 acres. OF
this but little more than two-fifths Is In
farms and less than one-half of the farm
area Is improved and made a source of
crop production. We have nearly $780,
The value of the farms is nearly one
fourth the wealth of the United States.
The number of persons engaged In agri-
cultural pursuits is more than 1OOO0.0O0.
Wheat and Corn Production.
We grow one-f1fth of the worlds wheat
crop. three-fifths of its cotton crop and
four-fifths Of its corn crop. We plant nearly
.O,NU;j.UOO acres of wheat annually, with
an average yield of about fourteen bushels
per acre: lO0.OOOOOO acres of corn. yield
ing an average of twenty-five bushels per
acre, and 3D.NO.0O0 acres of cotton, yield
ing about 12,OOO.OOO bales.
There has been slight increase in the
average yield of our great staple farm
products. but neither the increase in
acreage nor the yield per acre has kept
pace with our increase in population.
Within century we shall probably have
to feed three times many people as
now, and the main bulk of our food sup
ply must be grown on our own soil.
In addition to the land awaiting the
pillow. 71.OO.OOO acres of swamp land can
be reclaimed. 4O.OOO.OOO acres of desert
land irrigated. and millions Of acres OF
brush and woodland cleared. Our popula-
ton will increase continuously. but there
is a definite limit to the increase of our
cultivated acreage. Hence we must
greatly increase the yield per acre. The
average yield of wheat in the United
States is less than fourteen bushels per
acre in Germany twenty-eight bushels
and in England thirty-two bushels We
get thirty bushels of oats per acre Eng
land nearly forty-five. and Germany mt re
than forty-seven. Our soils are fertile but
our mode of farming neither conserves the
soil nor secures full crop returns Soil
fertility need not be diminished. but may
be increased. The large yields now OBJ
tanned from farms In Europe which have
been cultivated for thousand years
prove this conclusively. Proper manage
ment will double our average yield per
acre. and produce the farm products
needed by a population more than three
times as great as our country now con-
tains.
The greatest unnecessary loss of our
soil il preventible erosion. Second only