362 



FARM AND SCHOOL PROBLEMS. 



2. Compare the principal occupation of each of the three regions 

 in the United States lying parallel to the sides of the triangular map, 

 with the principal occupation in the triangular area. 



3. Is it possible for the area of the arable lands of the United 

 States to be increased to any considerable extent? 



4. At the rate at which our population has been increasing, about 

 how long will it take for our present population to double? 



5. Is it possible for the production per acre in the states of the 

 corn belt to be doubled? Give reasons for your opinion. 



6. What is the ratio between the increase in number of laborers 

 on the farm and the increase in population from 1870 to 1910? 



NOTE. The census of 1870 shows a population of about 40,000,000, 

 people; in 1910 93,000,000. 



Our Progress and Productive Power. 



It will be observed in this table that while the number of 

 farm laborers has only doubled in the last forty years, yet the 

 value of farm products and farm property has been quadrupled. 



Twelve million laborers in 1910 are farming four times as 

 many acres as six million laborers farmed in 1870, or in other 

 words the farmer of today tills twice as many acres as he tilled 

 in 1870. This is convincing proof of the steadily increasing pro- 

 ductive power of labor saving machinery. 



Results of Inventions and the Diversification of Labor Re- 

 sulting From Improved Machinery. 



1. Today a western farmer uses a machine driven by a 100 horse- 

 power engine, which plows, sows, and harrows at the same time a 

 strip 30 feet wide, at the rate of 4 miles an hour ; how many acres 

 can he seed in 1 day of 10 hours? 



2. If one man with a team of horses can plow, seed and harrow 1 

 acres per day; how many men with teams will be required to do 



