440 EVENING DISCOURSE. 



different proportions of each crop grown in a country. But, so far as I can see, tlie 

 effect of the different crops grown is of only minor importance, and as the production 

 of proteins is the farmer's business, we are not far \\Tong in considering column (1) 

 as an index of the agricultural efficiency of that part of the coimtry under crops. 

 In the second column is given that part of the nitrogen in the crop which has been 

 supplied by artificial fertilisers. It is assumed that on an average 25 per cent, of 

 the nitrogen supplied to the land as fertiliser is found in the useful portion of the 

 crop. The third column is the difference between the other two columns, and is the 

 weight of nitrogen in the crop which has been suppUed by the land. In countries 

 with a good system of farming and a good rotation of crops this quantity is high. 

 We see that the system of agricultiu-e in Denmark produces more than twice as much 

 as that in Canada, U.S.A. and Italy, and that in this country we are a little better 

 than Belgium and considerably better than Holland in our agricultural system, apart 

 from the use of artificial nitrogen fertilisers. But since Holland uses seven times, 

 and Belgium four times, as much nitrogen fertiliser per acre, these two countries 

 obtain crops which are greater thair those obtained in this country, as is shown in 

 column 1. In Holland one-third of the crops appears to be grown from nitrogen 

 fertiliser. There seems to be no climatic or other physical reason why fertilisers 

 should not be used to a greater extent in this country. If we used as much per acre 

 as in Holland we should consume 420,000 tons of nitrogen per year ; if as much as 

 in Belgium, 272,000 tons ; and if as much as in Germany, 132,000 tons. The reason 

 that we do not use more fertilisers does not appear to be economic. The use of 

 sulphate of ammonia yields 100 per cent, to 300 per cent, on the money invested 

 within a year. 



Let us consider the special case of the fertilisation of wheat. If we compare the 

 price of wheat and of sulphate of ammonia it will be seen that for some years the 

 price of these commodities has been practically equal. Since 1 cwt. of sulphate of 

 ammonia gives an increased yield of wheat of 2-4 cwt., it is easy to see that, even 

 after paying for phosphatic and potash fertilisers, 100 per cent, will be earned on the 

 money spent on nitrogen. 



I have already told you that I think that there is no need for us to be uneasy 

 about the world's food supply. I realise that in the past there has been very real 

 grounds for foreboding. Consider the population figures of England for a thousand 

 years. The first increase of population was due to the increase in transport and 

 trade in Tudor times, but the great increase is the effect of the industrial revolution. 

 The industrial revolution took place first in this country, but other countries have 

 since undergone similar changes, and similar increases of population have taken and 

 are taking place. 



In every district there is each year either an over-production of foodstuffs or a 

 famine. Since the means of transport in the world are now so adequate we may 

 consider, with very few exceptions, the whole world as one district. At present 

 there is no famine in the world ; there is therefore over-production of foodstuffs, and 

 I hope there always will be such over-production. It is a pity that our present social 

 system penalises the farmers and agricultural workers by giving them a standard of 

 living lower than the rest of the community, because they have produced the crops 

 we require for food and the necessary margin to insure us against famine. 



We have seen that the development of the nitrogen fixation industry has lowered ■ 

 the price of nitrogen fertUisers, so that we can expect the needs of the increasing 

 population of the world to be met first by more intensive fertilisation of land close 

 to the markets for food, rather than by extension of the cultivated area. We have 

 seen that less capital is required to build a nitrogen factory than to bring new ground 

 under cultivation. 



Sir William Crookes said ' The fixation of nitrogen is vital to the progress of 

 civilised humanity,' and again, ' The fixation of nitrogen is a question of the not far 

 distant future. Unless we can class it among the certainties to come the great 

 Caucasian race will cease to be the foremost in the world, and will be squeezed out of 

 existence by the races to whom wheaten bread is not the staff of life.' 



To-day we can answer back to Crookes through thirty-two years that science and 

 industry have completed the task he set them, and have assured the food supply_^of 

 the world for several generations. 



