760 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Mr. Hyde disclaims any intention to give his own views, but yet 

 no one can read his treatise without noting a substantial agreement 

 with Sir William Crookes, perhaps almost unconsciously to himself. 

 In his closing paragraph he says: "To discuss the extent to which 

 under conceivable conditions the United States may, notwithstanding 

 the somewhat dubious outlook, still continue to contribute to the food 

 supply of other nations, would be little more than speculation." 



The Italics are my own. 



I venture to point out that the use of the word " speculation " is 

 an example of many instances. Like a dog, one may give a word a 

 bad name, yet it may be a good dog and a very good word when 

 rightly used. In the true and very innocent meaning of the word 

 " speculation " we find exactly what the public has a right to expect 

 and even to demand from the Department of Agriculture. In Web- 

 ster's Dictionary I find that, when used in such a connection as this 

 problem of the potential of this country in farm productions, the word 

 il speculation " stands for " a mental view of anything in its various 

 aspects and relations; contemplation; intellectual examination." 



If any " mental view " has yet been taken in the Department of 

 Agriculture of the proportion of the land of this country which may 

 be termed " arable," I have yet to find the record. If any " con- 

 templation " has been devoted to the proportions of this arable land 

 which may be devoted to different crops in each section, I have been 

 remiss in not securing the reports. If any " mental view " has been 

 taken of the relative area now devoted to each principal crop, and 

 that which may be so devoted hereafter in order to meet the prospec- 

 tive demand upon the land, either for the supply of our own popula- 

 tion or of other nations, where is the record? If there is no such 

 " speculation " now of record, is it not time that a true agricultural 

 survey corresponding to our geologic and geodetic surveys should be 

 entered upon? I have reason to believe that such surveys have been 

 made by many European states in which all the arable land in some 

 kingdoms is classified, listed, and so recorded that any one wishing to 

 know the best place for any special product can get the information 

 by reference to the proper department of the Government. 



I have had occasion to make several studies of this kind. In order 

 to inform myself on the potential of the South in the production 

 of cotton, I undertook a study of the physical geography and cli- 

 matology of the cotton States and of other cotton-producing countries 

 nearly forty years ago. The results of this research were first given in 

 Cheap Cotton by Free Labor, published in 1861. In that pamphlet 

 and in many treatises following, finally in an address in Atlanta, in 

 1880, a true forecast or " speculation ' '' or " intellectual examina- 

 tion " will be found of the production of the cotton fiber, the potential 



