The Greeley tribune., 1911-10-05

to ia of American origin. II was
introduced to South Europe from
peru nv followers of Columbus. 10
civilization this one discovery was
of more value than all the galleys
of gold of which Cortez and Pizarro
robbed the children of Mexico ana
Peru. Corn. tobacco. cocoa, turkeys
were also natives of America Llper-
" and food are the contributions OF
America to the worlds progress.
The potato was also found in North
as we'll as South America. II was
Hawkins, the English buccaneer ana
slave dealer, who took the plant
| from Virginia and introduced II IN
to England and Ireland. Sir wafer
Raleigh is generally credited with
introducing the potato, but HAWKINS
antedated him in carrying what tne
Britannica Encyclopedia called the
dangerous tuber into Great Britain.
All concede, however, that ireland
owes this blessing to North Amerl-
ca Progress is measured by the
average condition and welfare OF
the many. not of the few. Civiiiza-
ton is more concerned with the po-
tatoes raised than in nursing Ideals
that are beyond the mass, that few
understand and still fewer can at
tain. Food is fundamental in any
plan for human destiny. half-fed
man takes little interest in free
government and liberty. Even to
preach religion to man with an emp
ty stomach is a waste of time. The
normal man is tied to his appetite,
and will defend any flag and sub
scribe to any faith that promises
full rations for himself and family.
The menace to democracy will be
high price and scarcity of whole
some food. The first remedy is to
make it crime to corner or manip-
ulate human food; the next, to de-
velop by careful, intense cultivation
the ability of our land to grow
crops. That England raises twice
as much wheat upon an acre and the
Netherlands twice as many potatoes
as the United States is an impeach-
ment of our boasted smartness and
a severe reflection upon our agri-
cultural methods or the richness OF
our soil. The truth is that our land
is SO prodigal that our people have
become careless and wasteful. The
squirrel that is fed soon stops gath
ering a winter supply of nuts. The
absorption and occupation of free
arabic land and the ever multiply
ing of population is bringing the
western world to face new condi-
tions. Fortunately, the potentiali-
ties of the western hemisphere, de-
spite what Mr.. Taft may say, need
but agricultural scientific methods
in soil culture for the two Ameri-
cas- to fill the mouths of the world S
millions for many generations. In
this great food problem the potato
is to play a leading part. Already
in our national commissary the po-
tato represents thirteen per cent OF
our food supply. 1t now ranks with
grain and meat Who can estimate
the place it will hold in fifty years?
The wheat and corn and oat crop of
America can be easily doubled. The
increase in the production of pota-
toes can be multiplied many times.
The average potato crop of the
United States is but eighty bushels
to the acre-of Colorado one-hun-
dred and twenty, when we do not
have the fusarium like we have this
fall. In 1891 at Del Norte in the
r. c. Nisbet gathered S471s bushels
Aioih a ihCocuItu acre. Lukeu6
Grubb, at Carbondale, harvested
5931s bushels an acre from one
field and 535 y bushels from an
other field. These are the possibili-
ties of well titled Colorado acres.
The difference between these crops
and 120 bushels is an indictment of
Colorado farming methods and rep
resents the cost of incompetency
and shiftless cultivation. A mixed
diet is always best, but the necessi-
ties of the masses do not present
hotel menu and for the predominant
ing article in the daily food of the
world the potato can be most whole
some and the easiest produced The
potato makes perfect complement
to the protein in flesh diet, each
having the deficiency of the other.
Il THIS IG CE,RTAVN