THE PEODUCT OF ONE ACEE. 287 



Even our own favored land of boundless acres and 

 sparse population is no permanent exception to this 

 universal rule. Here, as in older countries, it is found 

 that the value of land rises with the augmented num- 

 bers present to consume its products, and the rapid 

 accumulation of mouths to be fed is prophetic of a 

 coming demand for increased productiveness of soil, 

 and more perfect modes of culture. 



It is, perhaps, true enough to-day, that no man in 

 Iowa or Nebraska would feel himself to be any poorer, 

 nor would pay any more for his beef and bread, if the 

 ultimate capacity of each acre were less than it is. 

 There is no present necessity of reaching that ultimate 

 capacity, and consequently no concern felt in regard 

 to it. But these facts are transient. The natural in- 

 crease of population, augmented as it is by constant ac- 

 cessions from abroad, will in the course of time entirely 

 change this condition, and the now unpeopled prairie 

 will swarm with hungry consumers of bread and meat, 

 that will make it expedient for every farmer to hus- 

 band the affluence of his soil, and test the capacity of 

 his acres. 



From these and like considerations, it will per- 

 haps be interesting to examine some of the capabili- 

 ties of an acre of corn. 



For this purpose, let us assume the product of an 

 acre to be one hundred bushels. This, as before 

 shown, will give a yield of stalks equal to four tons. 



It was found, in a previous estimate, that one hun- 

 dred pounds of the stover are equal in feeding to 

 forty-eight pounds of corn ; but in order to accommo- 



