132 APPENDIX 



From the broad national point of view the need for 

 rural reform is perhaps even more urgent than the need 

 for all that commonly goes by the name of social and 

 industrial reform. It is, at any rate, the reform in 

 which, for obvious reasons, the outside world, and 

 especially the English-speaking races, is most closely 

 interested. The total increase in population was during 

 the last decade 21 per cent. ; but while the urban popu- 

 lation grew by 34-8 per cent., the rural community grew 

 by only 11 -z per cent. The showing of the countryside 

 would be even worse were it not for the Far West, where 

 the era of colonisation has not yet closed. In Iowa, 

 Missouri, and some of the States of the Middle West, 

 the agricultural stronghold of the country, the rural 

 population has actually dwindled. In New England 

 and the middle Atlantic States there has been practically 

 no growth of rural communities to compensate for an 

 urban industrial growth that has been mainly due to 

 an influx of socially undesirable aliens. Had the average 

 of agricultural productivity increased these statistics 

 would lose some of their point ; but it has not increased. 

 In 1899, 1900, and 1901 the average yield of an acre of 

 corn was 25-3, 28-1, and 25-3 bushels ; in 1909, 1910 

 and 191 1 the figures were 25-9, 277, and 23-9, in spite of 

 exceptionally good seasons. That the production of 

 corn has not fallen is due to the fact that there has been 

 a 20 per cent, increase in the acreage devoted to it. In 

 regard to the more important wheat crop the stagnation 

 has been absolute. Productivity has not increased, 

 averaging for the decade 14 bushels per acre, as com- 

 pared with 29 bushels for Germany, 20-3 for France, 

 and 33-0 for England. The area of cultivation remains 

 stable, varying from year to year between 45 and 49 

 million acres. 



Diminished Supplies and Exports. 



Much the same story is told by the live stock returns. 

 In 1910 there were roughly 62,000,000 cattle, 58,000,000 



