PRODUCTIVENESS OF THE EARTH. 41 



world alongside, to take off the surplus population of this, just 

 as easily as the conductor takes on another car when the train 

 is too full. There may he little likelihood of any such relief; 

 but, yet, it does seem tliat some relief will by and by be needed. 

 For while the productiveness of the earth may no doubt be 

 vastly increased, there seems to be reason for anticijtating a 

 still greater and more rapid increase in the productiveness of 

 the human species. 



Let us look again more carefully at the probabilities on both 

 sides. The lands that are now worse than wasted, — devoted 

 to the cultivation of that which injures man, physically and 

 morally, shortens human life, and entails incalculable misery 

 upon families, and untold burdens upon society, may be 

 reclaimed to their legitimate use ; the uncultivated wastes may 

 be improved ; the parched land may, by means not yet under- 

 stood, become springs of water ; the deserts, not absolutely and 

 incurably barren, may rejoice and blossom as the rose ; and 

 improved modes of cultivation may multiply many fold the 

 harvests of the husbandman. The present population of the 

 globe, according to the most reliable estimates is a little less 

 than 1,300,000,000, (1,280,000,000.) 



At the rate at which Belgium is peopled, the territory of the 

 United States would nearly suffice for this entire number. And 

 I have no doubt our country could sustain, even at the present 

 rate of productiveness, if all our available land was under culti- 

 vation, a population as dense as that of Belgium, which is 

 nearly four hundred (383) to the square mile. ' It is true that 

 Belgium does not raise sufficient food for its present population ; 

 but it is also true, that only about two-thirds of the land in that 

 kingdom is under cultivation, — less than five millions of acres 

 out of seven millions two hundred and fifty thousand. Even in 

 England, to say nothing of Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, there 

 are about 3,500,000 acres of waste land that might be improved. 

 This is more than one-tenth of the whole area of the country, 

 and more than one-eighth of the amount actually under culti- 

 vation. 



With all available land under improvement, and with the 



increased fertility which improved culture will bring, I think 



we may safely assume that the earth will be able to feed and 



clothe as many human beings as there are acres of cultivable 



6 



