New Britain herald., 1929-05-27
Net Necessary to Expand Net Earn Area, Dr. 0. E. Baker Says in Agri- cultural Report.

AoAS4 AAIAtA4Ss &u0 q Oh8Ak ACSi SA0S in crop acreage.
 In 1927 and 1927 agricultural pro- duction was found to be still increas- ing at . rate more rapid than the increase in population. Evidence ii at hand, too.. that the population growth l. slowing up. The welfare of agriculture. according to Dr. O. E. Baker. economist. author of the 2 report. "necessitates careful consid- eration of any proposals involving an increase in crop acreage"
 No Nced for Increase
 It is not necessary to expand the ret farm ares of the nation during the next decade. the report states. Making an allowance for the culti- vation of additional land which probably cannot be prevented, the country after 1sl0 will still have available some 500.0O0,0O acres Of potentially cultivable land. an area grx1t6f than the total cultivated land at present. the report states.
 l''Len than half of this amount would need to be added. to the exist ing. crap as4et in order to supply a population of e00.000.000," Dr. Baker 1tates.
 Aut0n,ehtles . Factor
 .Overexpansion of the country's crop area. ays Dr. Baker Is one of fundamental causes of the present agricultural depression. but excessive stimulation of agricultural settle- ment during the last half century war Smore or iess excusable. No one, nr. Daleer ssports, could have fore- seen the coming of the automobile and the tractor, which has released . large amount of land formerly re- quired to feed horses and mules, nor the increasing production of milk and meat per unit of feed consumed by the farm animals: nor did anyone realise the influence of shifts from les productive to more productive crops per acre. and from less pro- ,ductive to more productive classes Of farm animals. Moreover, he says, prior to tho World War no adequate evidence existed of the rapid ap- preach of . stationary population in the United States.
 Regardless of tho lessened need for the cultivation of more land, however. Dr. Baker in his report ventures the opinion that the ten- dency will be in the future as in the past to bring more land into use for , crops than are needed. Unless agri- cultural settlement is pruAently guided, he says, there is grave dan- ger that periods of agricultural de- pression will recur due tp overpro- -duction. If ~ !:
 Increased use of iut6m6biles and tractors in agriculture in the five years from 1920 to 1925 released from 5000. 900 to 10000. .000 acSes of crop and previously required to feed horses and mules. From 1913 to 1923 the land thus released amount cd to at least 15.000,O00 acres, and perhaps 2o.o00.o00 acre. or from one-fifth to one-fourth of all the land required in 1s1s for that pur- pose.
 C0asumpti0n Lags
 s Per capita consumption of beef. veal and eggs has not changed since the beginning of the century; per capita consumption of mutton, lamb and chickens is much less: consump- ton of pork is 10 per cent greater, and of milk IF per cent greater.
 'Continuation Of the indicated trend toward a greater per capita consumption of milk and pork, and leesened consumption of mutton and lamb. beef and veal. would reduce the amount of land required to feed . given populatio on. for the hog and the dairy COW produce more human food per unit of feed consumed than do other farm animals. Since the wag the consumption of animal foodstuffs has increased at the ex- peme of the consumption of plant foodstuffs. Any change in this ten- dency would decrease the amount of crop land required, for animal foodstuffs need much more land to produce | given amount of human food than do plant foodstuffs.
 Secs stationary Population
 Tt was formerly taken for grant ed that growth of population in the United States would eventually press upon the Limitations of the land supply. In recent years, however. statisticians have shown that the United States and also the countries of northwestern Europe are ap- preaching a stationary population" Dr. Baker concludes that a stationary population will be attained in from 50 to 75 years at somewhere between 175.OOO.080 and 2O0.00O,O00.
 Since 1920 the birth rate in the and rise in the death rate is es- pected soon because the population will include an increasing proportion of people in the older age groups. Since 1915. the birth rate has de- ciined by nearly five births per thou- a nd people. or about 20 per cent. A further decline of four per thou sand would bring the birth rate down to that necessary merely to maintain a population whose aver age span of life is 61 years. which is four years longer than the average at present"
 This declining birthrate. Dr. Baker concludes. appears to be associated with the country's increasing pros- perfty and per capita wealth. In those states where the per capita wealth is larger than the average the birth rate is lower; in states where the per capita wealth is smaller than the average. the birth rate is higher.
 ". Population growth does not necessarily tread upon the heels Of farm production as closely as was l DENTIST