present century may range from 50,000,000 to 100,- 

 000,000 tons per year, the Lake Superior district would 

 last for from 25 to 50 years more, if it supplied flu- 

 ent ire United States. But counting on the known re- 

 serves elsewhere in the United States, the ore will last 

 for a much longer period, though, of course, it must 

 necessarily show a gradual but steady increase in value 

 and in cost of mining, along with an equally steady de- 

 crease in grade/' The most favorable view of the 

 situation forces the conclusion that iron and coal \\ ill 

 not be available for common use on anything like pres- 

 ent terms before the end of this century ; and our indus- 

 trial, social and political life must be readjusted to meet 

 the strains imposed by new conditions. Yet we forbid 

 to our consumers access to the stores of other coun- 

 tries, while we boast of our increased exports, of that 

 material for want of which one day the nation must be 

 reduced to the last extremity. 



We now turn to the only remaining resource of man 

 upon this earth, which is the soil itself. How are we 

 caring for that, and what possibilities does it hold out 

 to the people of future support? We are only begin- 

 ning to feel the pressure upon the land. The whole 

 interior of this continent, aggregating more than 

 500,000,000 acres, has been occupied by settlers within 

 the last 50 years. What is there left for the next 50 

 years? Excluding arid and irrigable areas, the latter 

 limited by nature, and barely enough of which could 

 be made habitable in each year to furnish a farm for 

 each immigrant family, the case stands as follows: 



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