Now of our agricultural products exported there are four only 

 which constitute nearly 92 per cent, of the total value of exports, 

 viz., Corn, Wheat, Meats and Cotton, but even including these, we 

 consume in this country 90 per cent, of the products of our agri- 

 culture. 



Sixth : I have taken the Statistics of Production of our leading 

 crops during the years 1866 to 1886 both inclusive, and, dividing 

 this into three periods of seven years each, I find that during the 

 second period the total crop production increased practically the 

 same upon the average with the increase in acreage devoted to 

 these crops over the acreage and yield of the first period. The in- 

 crease in acreage averaged 35 per cent., and that of crops 33 per 

 cent, more during the second than during the first period. 



But during the third period the average increase in acreage 

 was 45 per cent, while the average increase of crops was but 35 per 

 cent., thus showing a falling off in average acreage production of 

 the leading crops of the United States of nearly eevm ai,d one- 

 half per cent. 



I might stop here, but as the reason for my faith is here in a 

 nut shell, I know you will endure a brief recapitulation of the 

 foregoing points : 



1st. Our population is increasing at the rate of nearly 3 per 

 cent, a year. 



2nd. Our consumers of agricultural products are increasing 

 at a more rapid rate by far than are the producers. 



3rd. At present we consume 90 per cent, of our agricultural 

 products. 



4th. The average crop producing capacity of our soils is 

 diminishing in the United States, 



5th. From 1866 to '86 the area devoted to our leading cro] s 

 increased 127 per cent, while our population increased during this 

 period 69 per cent, and while everything points to the fact that 

 our arable land is largely occupied, as witness the haste to possess 

 Oklahoma, and the efforts to reclaim by irrigation the arid regions 

 of the west, there appears to be no evidence that our population 

 will not steadily increase. 



At present 90 per cent, of our prc ducts are consumed at home, 

 or 95 per cent., not counting tobacco and cotton. It scarcely ap- 



