THE FOOD CRISIS AND AMERICANISM 97 



immediately be made. As the great majority of all 

 the cars bringing live stock to the packing centers go 

 back empty, the cost of transporting the Stock Yard 

 manure to the country would be nominal. It is valu- 

 able as a fertilizer, not only because of the food ele- 

 ments contained, but for the humus, for the lack of 

 which many soils, and especially those of the " loess 

 deposit," are suffering. 



As evidence that these tendencies toward soil de- 

 preciation and decreasing yields of grain still continue, 

 and that many thinking men view the situation with 

 alarm, I quote from a speech delivered by Hon. Car- 

 roll S. Page, of Vermont, in the United States Senate, 

 July 24, 1916. 



" Within the last thirty years Germany has in- 

 creased her production of rye from 15 to 29 bushels, 

 the United States from 14 to 16 bushels; Germany in- 

 creased her production of wheat from 19 to 30 bush- 

 els, the United States from 13 to 15 bushels; Germany 

 increased her production of barley from 24 to 39 bush- 

 els, the United States from 24 to 24.3 bushels; Ger- 

 many increased her production of oats from 31 to 59 

 bushels, the United States from 28 to 30 bushels; 

 Germany increased her production of potatoes from 

 115 to 208 bushels, the United States 98 to 100 

 bushels. 



" This statement is so full of meat that I wish to 

 give to the Senate these figures in percentages : 



"The German increase in rye in 30 years was 87 

 per cent., the United States 10 per cent. ; in wheat 58 

 per cent., the United States 14 per cent.; in barley, 



