THE WHEAT PROBLEM AGAIN. 765 



13.4 bushels per acre from 143,000 square miles of land will be met 

 by the cultivation of not exceeding 700,000 square miles out of 

 2,000,000 available. 



I should not venture to question the conclusions emanating from 

 the Department of Agriculture, or the deductions of so eminent a 

 scientist as Sir William Crookes, had I not taken the usual precau- 

 tion of a business man in studying a business question. I went to 

 the men who know the subject as well as the figures on which statis- 

 tics are to be compiled. 



Being supplied by the Popular Science Monthly with one hundred 

 proofs of the first nine and a half pages of the December article in 

 which the terms of the problem are stated, I sent those proofs to the 

 chiefs of the experiment stations and to the secretaries of agricul- 

 ture in all the States from which any considerable product of wheat 

 is now or may be hereafter derived; also to many makers of wheat 

 harvesters; to the secretaries of Chambers of Commerce, and to sev- 

 eral economic students in the wheat-growing States. This prelimi- 

 nary study was accompanied by the following circular of inquiry : 



Boston, Mass., October 5, 1898. 



To the Chiefs of the Agricultural Experiment Stations and others in 

 Authority: 



Calling your attention to the inclosed advance sheets of an article 

 which will by and by appear in the Popular Science Monthly, I beg 

 to put to you certain questions. 



If the matter interests you, will you kindly fill up the blanks be- 

 low and let me have your replies within the present month of October, 

 to the end that I may compile them and give a digest of the results? 

 I shall state in the article that I am indebted to you and others for the 

 information submitted. 



Area of the State of square miles. 



1. What proportion of this area do you believe to be arable land 

 of fair quality, including pasture that might be put under the plow? 



Answer . . ". square miles. 



2. What proportion is now in forest or mountain sections which 

 may not be available for agriculture for a long period? 



Answer square miles. 



3. What has been done or may be done by irrigation? 



