18 THE AGRICULTURAL BLOC 



can agriculture was showing the first signs of 

 not keeping pace in its growth with the national 

 requirements. The temporary spurt in produc- 

 tion experienced during the war, while showing 

 what might be expected for a brief period, was 

 made at such a cost that it could not be ex- 

 pected to continue as a normal growth later 

 on. It was a growth accomplished by sacrifice 

 of the best methods for anything that would 

 bring quick results. 



The United States has been a country not 

 only self-sufficing, but an exporting country 

 with regard to food-stuffs. While we were 

 dependent upon some neighbors for the food 

 products not grown here, they were much more 

 than offset by the volume of our export, except 

 in very recent years. 



An authority presents this matter in a few 

 concise figures. In 1860 there were 13 acres 

 of farm land per capita of population, while 

 in 1910 this area had dropped to 9.5 acres per 

 capita, thus in 50 years there was a reduction 

 which left only 73 per cent as much farm land 

 for each person in the United States as there 

 had been 50 years before. Not only had there 

 been a decrease in the number of acres, but 

 the average quality of the land in farms ^had 



