The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-05
POPULATION AND SUBSISTENCE.
some Hard Nuts for Farmer Murphy or
Fall River 10 Track.

rail WNcr 10 STHcH.
To THE EDiToR OF THE SuN--Sir: ct. l.
Murphy, Farmer" says in THE Sun OF
December rs:
Farmers and others familiar with sgricul-
ture and kindred conditions know that the
food production In this country has reached
its highest limit as all the good land has
been taken UP and is being utilized.
We have only thirty lone persons In the
United States to the square mile. If we
have only enough food for them. how shall
we feed two or three or six times as
many? The New England States already
have 1oj to the square mile, the middle
Atlantic 1913 and the east north central
~. Massachusetts has AIS. Rhode
Island sos. New Jersey 337. New York
191, Pennsylvania III, Ohio III, Illinois
100. The States west and south OF these
are as rich in resource and as attractive
to residents. In the past twenty years the
population density of the country has in
creased nearly so per cent, and there Is
every indication that the increase will go
ON. Without immigration the net increase
OF native population was 90 per cent.
during the past decade. At this rate
population will double In a little less than
forty years and quadruple in eighty. The
past ratio of increase exceeds that, for
population grew from 100000 In 1865
to $4,000. 900 in 1918.
III, therefore, your correspondent mas
stated facts In the sentence quoted the
condition of the United States Is the
most serious in the whole history of the
worlds struggle for subsistence. Fortu-
nately both his statements are absurdly
untrue
IN 1855 this country produced 1b2.Ooo,-
900 bushels OF wheat. against 730, 900. 900
In 1912. In those forty-six years the pop
ulatlon Increased from 100000 to 3D.
OVV,0o0. We grew 4 1-3 bushels or wheat
per capita In 1865 and % In 1912.
In the past ten years the yield an acre
Increased from i.tp 10 lOi7 bushels.
That general average OF 15lt bushels
may be largely increased any but an ex-
IRENE pessimist will readily admit This
is shown by the fact that the average IL
already 23H bushels in New England
and % In the mountain region
The corn crop is peculiarly subject to
reduction by drought, and the corn grow =
Ing States suffered severely from this
cause last summer. II Ia therefore mis-
leading to compare this years yield Of
corn with that OF an average year.
II Is true that there has not been
much Increase In the average yield OF
corn for the whole country. II was 25
bushels an acre In 1869. % in 1899 and
26 in 1909. This represents the condition
which such movements as that In Indiana
are intended TO improve, a condition
which the great farm demonstration and
corn club work OF tho Southern States
has vastly improved. The average
farmer has been jogging along in the
same rut for whole generation so far
as corn growing WAS concerned. but In
the southern States In the past five years
great change has come about and a new
era has begun. Strange TO say. this
change grew out OF a calamity. It was
necessary TO meet with corn and other
crops the deficit In the farmers income
caused by the boil weeyirs destruction OF
cotton At the same time IL was found
that the only way to fight the boil weevil
was by intensive farming OF the most in
tense type. subsoiling the land In the fall.
thorough preparation OF the seed bed in
the spring. the selection OF early maturing
varieties of cotton and rapid culture OF
the growing plant. These methods saved
the cotton crop of Texas. and. extended to
corn and other crops, are creating IA new
era for agriculture in the South
Although half OF Louslana's cotton
crop WAS wiped out by the weevil. the
deficit has been made good with other
crops and the cotton crop IL gradually
being restored by intensive culture
In Georgia the corn crop has increased
from 3s.3.4.56s bushels In 1909 to Ga
o0o, 900 in 1911 and 20 600. 600 In 1918.
This increase is more due to better
farming than TO increase OF acreage. and
the average yield has risen from ten to
sixteen bushels an acre. The yield of corn
has been so low In the South that this
was not regarded as much of a corn
country. but the new methods are revers-
ing THIS opinion and agricultural experts
are coming TO the conclusion that the
South is tho best corn belt. As one OF