The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-30
No NEED 10 WORRY AS TO
BREAD IN YEAR 1850.

ESGkfLtAD IN IEAfk 1850.
Estimates Show Vast Increase in Sup
ply OF Whcat-Much Land is Avail
able.
During a recent meeting Of the
Millers' National Federation mass ON
Vention at Minneapolis, Prof. VI. A.
Carleton, OF the Department Of Agri-
culture, discussed the future wheat
supply OF the United States, giving
much attention to possible increase in
production. how 1t might be attained
and whether the production would
meet the demand. It was assumed
that the public is concerned in move
ments in the next forty years, closing,
for instance, with the year 1850, and
that there were two ways for increas-
ing the production, increased acreage
and increase in acre yield. The total
land area IN the United States IS L.
900,94T,20o, and in 1900 the census
showed that S3S,591,714 acres (44.1
per cent? was included in farms Of
all sizes, not entirely cultivated,
while many We're large stock ranges.
While there has been no definite state
nent since 1900 at least 200, eco, 600
acres has been dde to the farm
area, particularly in Kansas, Nebraska
and Colorado, making the total farm
area for 1910 about 1,O50,0O0,ov0
acres; approximately SO per cent OF
the total and area.
More Farm Land Available.
The land office reported in 1908 that,
exclusive Of Alaska, there were $685.
873.787 acres Of government n un~
appropriated and unresarved. Of this
probably 5000, 900 to 100, 100000
| acres will be included in farms. The
same year there were 52,013,000 acres
Of indian lands unallotted and unre-
served, ana there is a large amount
| Of swamp land to be reclaimed, over
10. 600, 900 acres. Adding thereto the
natural expansion Of farm area In the
older states, it seems reasonable, &C
cording to the speaker that from
25O.O0O,OOO to 3O0 100000 acres OF
farm area will be available III the
next twenty-five or thirty years,
making the total more than 1,3oo,ooo'-
OO0. or about 10 per cent OF the total
area. The improved farm area has
heretofore equaled about one-half or
the total farm area. BY 1907 II
should at least have reached 40 per
cent Of the total land area, or about
6O.OOO,0 900 acres. At the present
time the percentage Of o. farm
area employed for wheat is -pprox-
imately 4.8 per cent, although the aV-
erage proportion from 1870 to date has
been about So per cent rms per
centage of future possible farm area
would be over 5000, 900 acres, or
%. 0 900 acres more than the acre
age of 1903. There is hardly a doubt
it is pointed out, but that the Wnea'
acreage will increase, and Ions before
1850 the proportion should reach .
per cent, because of probable expan-
sion due to increased prices and be
cause the farm area will increase less
ranidly. Much of the increase III
wheat acreage will be in the oioel
States. This year for the first tune
if reached the fifty million mark, pc
ing 5O,5OO,O 900 acres In A9oo II
should be eighty million acres
The opinion is erroneous. the Speah-
or said. hat the yield Of wheat TO the
acre i decreasing in the United States
on the contrary, there is a consider
able increase, TO 20 pusi
els in the last forty years. during lie
last thirty years the increase mas peer
fully two bushels an acre. The pres,
ant average WELD is IA bushels, an1
at the same rate of increase 1t shoulo
ha 49, in 1850. However, 1t mus
not he overlooked that with each de-
cade there is a rapid dlffuslon o.
knowledge of improved methoos %
culture. seed selection, use OF oetlel
varieties, etc, ana lna' o. ,nten.
will constantly become more ihten'
sive An actual increase OF SIX push-
&c 70 the acre by 1850 ought to De d
fair estimate, raising lt 10 t"ents
hnsbels. At this acre yield the e1gh,s
million acres of wheat in 1880 wo ~
nroduce 1900, ooo,o 900 bushels. the
pncraase of two bushels an acre dur
ing the last thirty years has oeen ~,
mainly to the INTRODUCTION OF oee ~
adapted varieties, hyorlol.a.nn and
SELECTION in existing varieties anu
batter methods Of cultivation.
~ New Wheat Introduces.
The greatest Improvement mas p nen
.ada rough the Introduction OIL ne"
Wheat, the speaker said. As cary - -
1919 the United states oepai ait1 :.
of agriculture imported 'h0