The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1914-03-06
POPULATION AND FOOD.

Minneapolis journal: Noihlns is
the matter with tho limited States now
hun a temporary cxcc>s in population
sr"wth over increase IN food rruduc-
ton, a large par, OF the population
increase has zone into ariizanship. ant:
so has increased food consumption in
proportion to food production. In
crease OF econonv and efficiency. III
manufacture. has outrun increase in
agriculture. again increasing the pro-
portion of consumption II, masking
;itiaanshlp more attractive.
Crude farming has exhausted The
surface richness of soil. postponing
tlie deeper search fur fertility snd the
renewal of plant food withdrawn. The
total production OF cereals has barely
increased IN ten wears. while pupula-
'i"n has Increased fifteen millions. The
production ri minor farm foods fruits
and seeds las acluall, decreased,
though lbr money value "f all has in
creased.
'attl" statistics arc more specific,
~ WV ''o'IN'' If" 'N'1i hUUFT S1l.Fl1t
observation. Most Of The cereal fs-
ures end hernr" In10. tho las, ccusuz
Nna'. but the derart,n"n, "f aericul-
ture rep"ris that. since that year. the
food animal population cf this country
has fallen nf more than arVen mil.
lions. while tho human population l1as
increased nearly sevon millions.
Reef cattle have fallen short most.
and hogs, grown Oh small farms. lea9t.
rfice Of beef has Increased hfy per
cent, that ri llces ten. The deepest
cut has been made in cattle hy tho
short-sighted abolition Of the western
ranges and the faiiurc 10 substitute
quickly farm rearing as we'll as feed
Ing.
For a century We grew a $nrpius of
food. vegetable and animal. for eNror
or cheap home consumption. Naturally
We grew il cl1eaply and w~as,etllly.
For ten years We have been approach
ing &. deficit of both. Naturally We are
planning to produce more economical
l%. though at greater cost to the acre
for a far larger and more permanent
Siejd. That way the lost proportion
of food to population Will he restored.
Nsither i'm population. IN cereal pro-
ductlon nor in food animals has the
United States begun to approach the
limit of its natural increase or caps-
city, compared with older cu,ntries Of
Europe. Population comparisons are
familiar. The United States has thirty
to the square mile. tln British islands
$50. France 1a5. Germany aan. Bel
GUN, go, japan $50. HOLLAND $50.
Denmark 10. and s." MI
The comparison nf animal popula-
ticn is an striking. Tho United states
has twenty to the sausre mile. Bel
GUM and Holland $50. Denmark $50
and the United Kingdom 100. These
North Sea countries are peculiarly dt-
ted for hecf proiuction. but they rear
as we'll ~ fajten. our own regions
adapted to feeding c,n draw on ranges
in Mexico aled Western Canada rs they
drew or the trars-M Missouri ranges a
few years ago. The animal production
cam increase naturally in tho Saruc
proportion Az the human.
Again comparative statistics Of &C.
real food s,e less perfect. because the
subject hiss attracted less attention
here, kinds ot vegetable food vary
more than animal. aud grains are
moro durable and transportahlc. SO
that one country lives more readily off
another. Fur fr%asnrentary scientific
and economic. inquiry in the last few
years makes clear enough that care.
ful intensive farruinE and restoration
IF plant food Pc exhausted can in
crease food production in the United
states faster than the average ~increase
OF the CONSUMING population.