The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1914-12-11
MARKETING WORLDS
GREATEST PROBLEM
WE ARE LONG ON PRODUCTION,
SHORT ON DISTRIBUTION.
BY Peter Radford
Lecturer National Farmers Union.

problem and the war, while 1t has
brought its hardships, has clearly en-
Iphasized the Importance Of distribu-
ton as = factor In American agricul-
ture and promises to give the farm
r the cooperation of the govern
ment and the business men the
solution of their marketing problem.
This result will, in a measure, COM
pensate us 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 tellins
him how to produce, the farmer has
been dumping tons Of products in the
nations garbage can for want Of q
market.
The World viii Never starve.
At no time since Adam and Eve
we're driven from the Garden Of Eden
have the Inhabitants of this world
suffered from lack Of production. but
some people have gone hungry from
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 local.
ity has felt the pinch Of want, while
another surfeited, but the world as q
whole has ever been a land Of plenty
We nov have less than one-tenth OF
the tillabfe land Of the earth's surface
under cultivation, and we not only
have this surplus area to draw on but
1t is 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 1t from Wild
vines and draw 1t from streams. No
one should become alarmed; the
world will 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 a market, and regard
less Of the demands of the consumer
Back to the Soil
The city people have been urging
each other to move back to the farm
but very few of them have moved
We welcome our city cousins back tc
the soil and this earth's surface con
tains 1902. 6 1000 idle acres Of till
able land where they can make 9
living by tickling the earth with
forked stick, but We do not need then
so far as increasing production is 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 al
wrong. Our annual increase in pro
duction far exceeds that Of our in
crease in population.
The World a. a Farm.
Taking the world as one big farm
we find two billion acres Of land II
cultivation. OF this amount there II
approximately 100000, 900 acres on thu
western and 1890. 100000 acres on thu
eastern hemisphere. in cultivation
This estimate. OF course. does not in
elude grazing lands, forests. ETC.
where large quantities of meat ar
produced.
The worlds annual crop approx
mates fifteen billion bushels Of e.
reals. thirteen billion pounds Of f1br'
and sixty-five million tons of meat.
The average annual world crop TO
the past five years. compared with thu
previous five years, is as follows:
Past Half Previous Hal
Crops Decade. Decade.
Corn (Bu.) S,s34,174,o00 s.4o3. 655, oo'
Wheat Bu.) 1922, 100000 3.257, $685. o'
Oats (Bu.) 4.120,017, 900 3.sOS, 315, 0o'
Cotton (Bales) 1885, 800 1884, 20
The world shows an average in
crease in cereal production Of 10 pc
cent during the past decade. compared
with the previous five years. while tn
worlds population shows an increas'
Of only three per cent.
The gain in production far exceed
that of our increase in population. ant
It is safe to estimate that the farme
can easily increase production rs pc
cent II a remunerative market can b.
found for the products. In textil'
! abres the world shows an increas
during the past half decade in produe
ton Of Is per cent against a populs
ton increase of three per cent.
The people Of this nation shout
address themselves to the subject O
improved facilities for distribution.