THE NEED OF FRUIT-BREEDING. 167 



The Need of Fruit-Breeding. 



PROF. S. A. BEACH, HORTICULTURIST, AMES, IOWA. 



The late James J. Hill, some years ago, put out a statement 

 regarding the prospective development of this country and the 

 significance of land ownership, in which he included an estimate 

 as to the increase in population in continental United States. It 

 is a statement which I have often thought of and often quoted. 

 Mr. Hill was a brainy, clear sighted man, and one who could see 

 and appreciate things of fundamental importance. This state- 

 ment regarding the prospective increase of population in conti- 

 nental United States was made some years ago. The fact that 

 up to this date the prophecy has been fulfilled gives us all the 

 more confidence in the reliability of this estimate for the future. 

 The time set in this statement for the United States to pass the 

 100,000,000 mark was 1915. We actually passed the 100,000,000 

 mark in 1915. This estimate included the statement that by 

 1950 we should have 200,000,000 people in the United States. 



Inevitably along with this increase in population is to go a 

 corresponding increase in land values. Land and hunger is to 

 increase. As we have frequently said in discussing this matter, 

 it is important that we do not forget that while there is a crop 

 of babies every year there is only one crop of land. The time has 

 gone by when men can go out west and get good cheap land with- 

 which to compete with the farmers of this region. A generation 

 or more ago the pioneers came in here to take up cheap land. 

 Where do their sons go to get cheap land ? They go into the arid 

 or semi-arid regions to the westward, or they go away off into 

 the Canadian Northwest. But even in the Canadian Northwest 

 they have to pay a much higher price for land than the Minne- 

 sota pioneers paid when they came into this state. The day of 

 cheap land has gone by. In meeting these conditions which we 

 are beginning to face, and which our children must face, it is 

 important that we provide for ourselves and put into the hands 

 of our children the very best possible agricultural materials, so 

 that we and they may be better able to succeed in the inevitable 

 struggle which must be made with the rest of the world in order 

 to maintain the type of civilization which we wish America to 

 stand for. 



We must more and more, I believe, meet strong competition 

 as means of transportation are developed, new channels of trade 

 are established and closer contact is made with all the world. 



