grave problems in such a human growth, but we 
may for the time being dismiss all the others un- 
til we have considered the primary one of the 
bare maintenance of life. The food problem it- 
self has numerous collateral issues, but for the 
sake of simplicity we may here consider only the 
matter of bread. Where and how are we to ob- 
tain loaves enough to feed these coming millions? 
The average yearly consumption of wheat per 
capita varies considerably with seasons and pri- 
ces, but it rises steadily with our constantly ad- 
vancing standard of comfort. For the last three 
years it has been either slightly under or slightly 
over seven bushels for bread and seed. Suppose 
that it is six and one-half bushels per capita, which 
is certainly within the mark. It will then require, 
unless we are to fall to a lower scale of living, a 
total product of 1,300,000,000 bushels of wheat 
for our bread supply, if we did not export any. 
From 1880 to 1906 inclusive, our crop averaged 
521,738,000 bushels annually. Twice only in our 
history have we exceeded the 700,000,000 bushel 
mark. It is fair to say that 650,000,000 bushels 
is our present average capacity. Of course, with 
increasing population may come a somewhat in- 
creased total production, though it will not ad- 
vance as rapidly as many suppose. We grew 904,- 
185,470 bushels in 1882, when our population was 
a little over 52,000,000, and 634,087,000 bushels 
in 1907, twenty-five years later. The increase in 
4 
