The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1914-11-26
MARKETING Is WORLDS
GREATEST PROBLEM.

The economic distribution OF farm
products IL today the worlds greatest
problem and the war. while II has
brought its hardships. has clearly EN-
lphasized the Importance Of distribu-
tion On a factor In American agricul-
ture and promises to give the farm
ers the cooperation OF the govern
ment and the business men the
solution OF their marketing problem.
This result will, In measure. COM
pensate IN for our war losses, for the
business interests and government
have been In the main assisting al
most exclusively on the production
side Of agriculture. While the depart
ment of agriculture has been dumping
tons Of literature on the farmer telling
him how to produce. the farmer has
been dumping tons OF products In the
nations garbage can for want OF =
market
The World VIII Never starve.
At no time since Adam and Eve
were driven from the Garden OF Eden
have the inhabitants OF this world
suffered from lack Of production. but
some people have gone hungry nom
the day Of creation TO this good hour
for the lack OF proper distribution.
Slight variations in production have
forced a change In diet and one local.
ity has felt the pinch Of want. while
another surfeited, but the world a.
whole has ever been land OF plenty.
We now have less than one-tenth Of
the tillable land Of the earth's surface
under cultivation. and we not only
have this surplus area 10 draw on but
Il IN safe to estimate that IN case OF
dire necessity one-half the earth's
population could at the present time
knock their living out Of the trees
Of the forest. gather II from wild
vines and draw II from streams. No
one should become alarmed: the
world win never starve.
The consumer has always feared
that the producer would not supply
him and his fright has found express
sion on the statute books Of our states
and nations and the farmer has been
urged to produce recklessly and with
out reference to q market. and regard
less Of the demands Of the consumer.
Back TO the Soil.
The city people have been urging
each other 10 move back 10 the farm.
but very few OF them have moved.
We welcome our city cousins back TO
the soil and this earth's surface con-
tains 1902. 100000 idle acres Of TIL.
anle land where they can make q
living by tickling the earth with q
forked stick. but we do not need them
80 far as increasing production ia con-
cerned; we now have all the producers
we can use. The city man has very
erroneous ideas Of agricultural condi'
tons. The commonly accepted theory
that we are short on production is all
wrong. Our annual increase In pro-
duction far exceeds that Of our In
crease in population.
The World 40 a Farm.
Taking the world as one big farm.
we find two billion acres Of land in
cultivation. or this amount there IL
approximately 10000. 900 acres on the
western and 100000 acres on the
eastern hemisphere. in cultivation.
This estimate. OF course. does not In
clude grazing lands. forests, etc,
where large quantities Of meat are
produced
The worlds annual crop approx
mates fifteen billion bushels OF ce
reals. thirteen billion pounds Of fibre
and sixty.five million tons OF meat.
The average annual world crop for
the past 1--WE years. compared with the
previous Ave years. IL as follows:
Past Half Previous Hall
Crops Decade. Decade.
Corn (Bu.) 3.s34.174.0o0 s.4O3. 655. 600
Wheat (Bu.) $3.50, 76s. 900 3.257. 900
Oats (Bu) 4.120.O17,000 s.5Os. 315.00o
Cotton (Bales) 19.se3.s0O 1884, zoo
The world shows an average In
crease in cereal production OF 10 per
cent during the past decade. compared
with the previous Ave years. while the
worlds population shows an increase
OF only three per cent
The gain In production FAR exceeds
that OF our increase in population. and
Il Is safe to estimate that the farmer
can easily increase production rs pei
cent II q remunerative market can be
found for the products. In textile
fibres the world shows an increase
during the past half decade in produc
ton Of IL per cent against 4 popula
ton increase OF three per cent.
The people OF this nation should
address themselves 10 the subject Of
improved facilities for distribution.