338 THE LURE OF THE LAND 



asses and burros together contributed more than one- 

 half, namely, 55.1 per cent of the value of domestic 

 animals on farms in 1910; while cattle alone contrib- 

 uted almost one-half of the total value in 1900, namely, 

 49.5 per cent., and in 1910 the cattle contributed only 

 31.5 per cent, of the total value. 



The above data show that while meat producing ani- 

 mals, namely, cattle, swine and sheep, decreased in 

 number in the decade from 1900 to 1910, other ani- 

 mals, namely, horses, mules and asses, increased in 

 number. The increase in number, however, in mules 

 was the only one in which the percentage of increase 

 exceeded the percentage of increase in the rate of popu- 

 lation, the mules increasing 29 per cent, while the 

 population increased only 21 per cent. 



From the data contained in the 13th census we learn 

 that there are in the farms of the United States 878,- 

 798,325 acres, of which 478,451,750 acres are im- 

 proved, and 400,346,575 acres unimproved. I shall 

 endeavor to show that by a proper application of the 

 principles of scientific agriculture, now well under- 

 stood, we can easily support one person on each 2 acres 

 of the actual arable land in this country, or a total of 

 nearly 300,000,000 souls. The total area of Belgium 

 is 7,278,720 acres, and its population 6,410,783, or 

 nearly one for each acre. Ohio resembles Belgium in 

 contour, climate and fertility of soil. Ohio has an 

 area of 26,131,200 acres of land, and, measured by the 

 Belgium standard, could easily feed 20,000,000 peo- 

 ple. Ohio is only an example of what other portions 

 of the United States could do. 



It would be too much of detail to give here all the 

 agricultural products of the vast area of our lands. It 

 is enough to know that with the present method of farm- 



