Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1910-01-28
IHE AMERICAN WHEAT MARKET
p.ner Read by Prof. w. G.. Beach Of Wash
ington State College Before The
Wheat Convention

make them of the greatest human
service At all events they should
not be ruthlesSly wasted and de.
Stroyed. To preserve the soil and
improve its productiveness by sci
entific knowledge is the best of all
material means of human progress.
1T is unfortunate that the Ameri
ca people has not altogether
adopted this wise and businesslike
attitude.
The problem of a larger WELD
IS, economically, a very real and
vital one, and it is fortunate that
men of discernment and knowl-
legc are calling our attention to
1t. do not, therefore, wish to crit
lclze the conclusion thus reached
~ the writer's referred to: but |
wish to go further and discuss
other factors to which recent ar
5lcIes have given slight attention.
md which must inevitably modify
some Of their conclusions. The
problem of acreage and the prob
lem of yield per acre are import.
ant, but they both must be con
5ldered in relation to population
and to price.
Population.
In regard to the relation of
wheat yield to population. it is
not safe to argue on the basis Of
permanent rate Of growth of
population. II we consider some
thing Of the economic situation in
the past century this becomes
lear. The rapid growth of popu-
Iatlon III the western world be-
longs only to the nineteenth cen
fury, and it is an accompaniment
II the great economic transition
through which the world has been
passing since the Introduction of
machinery. The use of machinery.
and 50 the substitution of ma.
lures power for human muscle.
has multiplied enormously the
productivity Of man, and so far
greater population can and will be
supported by countries which en-
ter the manufacturing era. Eng
land led the way in becoming a
manufacturing state, and as her
factories grew, her population in
creased at an unprecedented rate.
In 1870 her population was esti-
mated at 100000, which was
about what it had been for many
centuries. But following the intro
duction Of machinery, in 1901 it
was 100000; in 1881 it had
reached y ID millions. and in
1891 it was 81 "a millions. Other
European countries later adopted
the factory system and in like
manner their population increas-
ed. Germany is a good illustra-
ton: Her mechanical age belongs
to the last quarter Of the nine
teenth century, and her growth
of population likewise is found
there. Between 1871 and the pres
ent time her population has grown
from 40 millions to 60 millions.
Very recently Japan became a
manufacturing state, and today
she too is showing a rapid growth
in population.
In the same way the United
States entered the manufacturing
stage, mainly after the Civil war.
But we were having an eXtraor-
binary growth in population. due
to abundance Of rich land. Hence
the effect Of the manufacturing
era was most notable not only in
the growth of population, but in
Il tranSference Of it from the cOun-
try to the city, to even a greater
degree than was at first the case
in Europe. During this period we
were tapping the new and fertile
lands Of the west for our wheat
and shipping enormous SURPRISES
to Europe; but we were also de
veloping that non-farming popu-
lation at a tremendous rate, which
would soon demand this wheat
and reduce the surplus for export
Germany was a wheat exporting
country till the SOS, but the man
ufacturing era, in spite of tariff
aid. drove her to consume her
wheat, and soon to export. SO the
United States, though with vastly
greater resources, is coming to the
same situation.
But when the transition to the
manufacturing life has completed
itself in any nation, the beginning
Of cessation in her increase of
population is reached. France is
now stationary in population.
England's rate Of increase has
fo1lan potioaahlv in lata wears