204 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



of the coal. Internal-combustion engines 

 utilize less than 20 per cent, and in elec- 

 tric lighting far less than 1 per cent of 

 the thermal energy is rendered available. 



Some lignites and other low-grade 

 coals are readily gasified, and, through 

 the development of internal-combustion 

 engines, check the consumption of high- 

 grade coals. Peat is becoming import- 

 ant; it is estimated that 14,000,000,000 

 tons are available in the United States. 

 Its value is enhanced because of distribu- 

 tion through States generally remote 

 from the fields of coal, oil, and natural 

 gas. 



The building operations of the coun- 

 try now aggregate about $1,000,000,000 

 per year. The direct and indirect losses 

 from fire in the United States during 

 1907 approximated $450,000,000, or one- 

 half the cost of construction. Of this 

 loss four-fifths, or an average of $1,000,- 

 000 per day, could be prevented. 



There is urgent need for greater safety 

 to the miner. The loss of life through 

 mine accidents is appalling, and prevent- 

 ive measures cannot be taken too soon. 



The national government should ex- 

 ercise such control of the mineral fuels 

 and phosphate rocks now in its posses- 

 sion as to check waste and prolong our 

 supply. 



The total land area of continental 

 United States is 1,900,000,000 acres. Of 

 this but little more than two-fifths is in 

 farms, and less than one-half of the farm 

 area is improved and made a source 

 of crop production. We have nearly 

 6,000,000 farms ; they average 146 acres 

 each. The value of the farms is nearly 

 one-fourth the wealth of the United 

 States. The number of persons engaged 

 in agricultural pursuits is more than 10,- 

 000,000. 



We grow one-fifth of the world's 

 wheat crop, three-fifths of its cotton crop, 

 and four-fifths of its corn crop. We 

 plant nearly 50,000,000 acres of wheat 

 annually, with an average yield of about 

 14 bushels per acre; 100,000,000 acres 

 of corn, yielding an average of 25 bushels 

 per acre, and 30,000,000 acres of cotton, 

 yielding about- 12,000,000 bales. 



We had on January 1, 1908, 71,000,- 

 000 cattle, worth $1,250,000,000; 54,- 

 000,000 sheep, worth $211,000,000, and 

 56,000,000 swine, worth $339,000,000. 

 The census of 1900 showed $137,000,000 

 worth of poultry in this country, which 

 produced in 1899 293,000,000 dozen eggs. 



There has been a slight increase in 

 the average yield of our great staple 

 farm products, but neither the increase 

 in acreage nor the yield per acre has kept 

 pace with our increase in population. 



the: yield per acre: much less than in 

 England and Germany 



In addition to the land awaiting the 

 plow 75,000,000 acres of swamp land can 

 be reclaimed, 40,000,000 acres of desert 

 land irrigated, and millions of acres of 

 brush and wooded land cleared. Our 

 population will increase continuously, but 

 there is a definite limit to the increase of 

 our cultivated acreage. Hence we must 

 greatly increase the yield per acre. The 

 average yield of wheat in the United 

 States is less than 14 bushels per acre, in 

 Germany 28 bushels, and in England 32 

 bushels. We get 30 bushels of oats per 

 acre, England nearly 45, and Germany 

 more than 47. 



The loss to farm products due to 

 injurious mammals is estimated at $130,- 

 000,000 annually ; the loss through plant 

 disease reaches several hundred million 

 dollars and the loss through insects is 

 reckoned at $659,000,000. The annual 

 losses from disease among domestic ani- 

 mals are: Horses, 1.8 per cent; cattle, 

 2 per cent ; sheep, 2.2 per cent, and swine, 

 5.1 per cent. Most of these farm losses 

 are preventable. 



The product of the fisheries of the 

 United States has an annual value of 

 $57,000,000. Fish culture is carried on 

 by the nation and the States on an enor- 

 mous scale. Most of the more import- 

 ant food species are propagated. Fish 

 from forest waters furnish $21,000,000 

 worth of food yearly. 



Our wild game and fur-bearing ani- 

 mals have been largely exterminated. To 

 prevent their complete extinction the 

 States and the United States have taken 



