Agricultural Masses Not Protected. 23 



For many reasons, such as the greater intelligence of 

 our farmers, tlie greater 'natural productiveness of our 

 land, the greater number acres in possession of each, the 

 more extensive use of horses and machinery, and the 

 facilities by wa}^ of transportation afforded for disposing 

 of surplus products, the farmers of other countries are 

 everywhere afraid of the competition of our agricul- 

 turists, if not in their own home markets, then in the 

 foreign markets they wish to supply. 



Mr. Henry Gannett^ says : ' ' Of the entire agri- 

 cultural product of the world the United States pro- 

 duces 23%." ^'Farming is more intensified in Europe 

 than in America, the product per acre being probably 

 twice as great." ''He (the American) is enabled by the 

 use of better tools and more machinery to work an 

 area three or four times as great as the European culti- 

 vates. The American uses machinery in farming as far 

 as possible; the European scarcely at all." ''For every 

 man here engaged in agriculture a product valued at $900 

 is contributed, while the average Frenchman produces 

 but $580, and the average German but $510 in agricul- 

 tural products." For these reasons we can, and do, pro- 

 duce cheaper than most foreigners in spite of the fact 

 that the rate of wages paid is from 50 to 100% higher 

 than in other countries. 



The Story Told by Agricultural Imports and Exports. 



"The total imports of the products of agriculture for 

 the year 1887, free and dutiable, were in value $197,308,- 

 240. Of this sum products worth $46,678,443 were 



^ Taken from an article of Mr. Gannett' sin the Forum of May, 1902. Mr. 

 Gannett was geographer in the 10th and 11th Censuses, and since 1882 has 

 been chief geographer of the United States Geological Survey. 



