206 THE LURE OF THE LAND 



well known and are daily taught to our people. Sci- 

 entific forestry is increasing the number of trees and 

 bringing large areas into tree culture which before were 

 only featureless plains. What the effect of tree plant- 

 ing will be upon the climate is not known with cer- 

 tainty, but the general impression is that the more 

 abundant the growth of trees, the more readily is mois- 

 ture preserved for agricultural purposes, while the in- 

 tensity and extent of floods are diminished. 



The true principles of fertilization are annually in- 

 creasing the average product of the older farm lands of 

 the community. The principles of cattle feeding are 

 introducing important economies into the utilization of 

 farm products. We have no reason to think that the 

 average wheat crop, for instance, in the United States 

 may not increase in the amount grown per acre. An 

 increase of a bushel and a half per acre will give, in 

 round numbers, an increase of sixty million bushels to 

 the crop. The scientific farmer can readily double and 

 treble his crop, and so, without increasing the acreage, 

 supply double or treble the amount of wheat. The 

 same principle is true of other crops. The future soil 

 fertility will increase, not dimmish. The average out- 

 put of each acre will grow. While the capacity of the 

 mouth to consume remains constant through all centu- 

 ries, the capacity of the hands to furnish food is con- 

 stantly increasing. In most cases there are two hands 

 to one mouth. We need not fear, therefore, a period 

 of world starvation due to the exhaustion of the food- 

 producing capacity of the soil. If universal hunger 

 does come, it will not be from this cause. It may be 

 I would not deny it that the final fate of man on 

 earth is starvation or freezing, but the remote future 

 at which such calamities can occur makes their event 



