112 



DRY-FARMING CONGRESS, WICHITA, 1914 



in the new type of agriculture to which young men and women are called. 

 During the last two generations, owing to the rapid opening of Western 

 lands, agriculture has been so depressed, that many farmers have felt 

 discouraged. They seemed to be pouring their lives into a soil which 

 drank it up and gave little in return. Thus the strenuous life of the 

 farmer was robbed, in part at least, of the joy of achievement. He could 

 not always see that he was achieving anything. That condition is now at 

 an end. 



Henceforth, the growing power of consumption, and the retarded 

 expansion of our farm area will give the farmers who know how to adjust 

 themselves to the new situation, a more ample reward for their labor. 

 Nevertheless, every farm will continue to cry, like the daughters of the 

 horseleech, "Give, give." The more productive it is the greater will be 

 the opportunity for further investment of labor and capital in its im- 

 provement. The farmer will find little encouragement for a life of ease 

 and luxury. They who desire that kind of a life will continue to go 

 to town. They will be bought out by those who retain their strenuosity 

 and their faith in the productive life. 



To such as these the world belongs. 



PROFESSOR HOLTON: 



I think it was William Holly Smith who said, "Put the grease where 

 the squeak is !" It seems to me that Dr. Carver has told us how to do that, 

 at least in this big business of farming. 



We are very fortunate indeed in having with us another man who has 

 a national reputation. Most of us had heard about him before we had 

 ever seen him at this meeting, and I am very glad indeed to present to 

 the Congress, Dr. E. Dana Durand, who is at present Professor of Eco- 

 nomics in the University of Minnesota," and as all of you know, was for a 

 number of years Director of the United States Census. 



At present he is engaged in a very important piece of work in a com- 

 mission on reorganization of affairs of the State of Minnesota. 



This evening, he is going to talk to us on "The Relation of Population 

 to Food Supply." 



Address of Doctor Durand. 

 T£E RELATION OF POPULATION TO FOOD SUPPLY 



There is a reason for the Dry-Farming Congress — a reason that con- 

 cerns all the people of this country and of the entire world. That reason 

 is the need of more food. Until some superc mist of the indefinite future 

 shall learn to make synthetically food from the rocks and the air we shall 

 be, as we are today, absolutely dependent on the cultivation of the soil. 



It is a maxim centuries old that growth of population tends to outrun 

 the growth of food production. Malthus and other thinkers have seen 

 little hope for maintaining the balance between the two except through the 

 checking of population by starvation, disease and war. It is not my pur- 

 pose to discuss the Malthusian theory. There is at least enough truth in 



