--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Franklin Stewart Harris collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 21 number: 4 published: 1918-02 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Franklin Stewart Harris, “America's Part in Preventing Famine,” *Improvement Era* 21, no. 4 (February 1918): 313–319." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2104unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera2104unse start_page: 313 end_page: 319 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1918-02) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2104unse publication_year: 1918 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1918, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # America's Part in Preventing Famine America's Part in Preventing Famine By Dr. Franklin Stewart Harris, Utah Agricultural College Death by famine is not inviting to anyone; we would prob- ably all rather be killed in battle. Most of us, however, shall have occasion to know more about war from its effect on the A terminal elevator where grain is stored preparatory to sending it to our allies in Europe. food supply than from the sound of cannon, since comparatively few will see the firing line. Because we have never felt the pangs of hunger, we now feel secure. This does not mean we are safe; millions have starved soon after feeling that famine was remote. Since prehistoric times, man has been subject to the ravages of famine. It is pleasant to think of this condition existing only in ancient times or among uncivilized peoples. History, how- ever, shows that tens of millions have starved during the present generation. Although nearly every nation has suffered locally, India, China, Ireland, and Russia have seen more distress during the last century than other countries. In northwest India during 1837 and 1838 at least 800,000 people perished; in Bengal and Orissa in 1865 and 1866, 1,000,- 000 starved; and again during 1877, Bengal lost 500,000 by famine. Also in the years 1897 and 1900 starvation was rampant in India. In China 9,000,000 persons are reported to have died from lack of food in 1877 and 1878. Eleven years later the The use of ditching machines greatly reduces the expense of drainage. Yellow River overflowed and famine again stalked through the land. As recently as 1902 a million lives were snuffed out. Ireland has suffered from many famines. One, in 963, was so severe as to drive the people to cannibalism. In 1822, and again in 1845 and 1846, famine gripped Ireland. On the latter occa- sion the population was reduced from 8,300,000, in 1845, to 6,- 600,000 six years later. This was due in part to emigration caused by scarcity of food. Records of famine in Russia date back to 1600 when about 500,000 people perished. In the last thirty years, three rather severe famines have again racked that country. These came in 1891, in 1906, and in 1911. In the last of these about 30,000,000 people were short of food and 8,000,000 were reduced to a con- dition of starvation. Under present conditions famine is not entirely preventable. AMERICA'S PART IN PREVENTING FAMINE 3ir> Man has not acquired complete control over the forces of nature, but through science and better business, he is rapidly learning how to overcome many of nature's uncertainties that cause short crops. Famines are caused by drought, frost, insect pests, plant The Elephant Butte Dam, built by the Government to store the waters of the Rio Grande for irrigation. diseases, floods, fire, and war. Of these, war is the only one caused entirely by man; yet it seems most difficult of all for man to control. What the chances are for a widespread famine during the next few years, no one can foretell with certainty. Of this we One type of cellar tliat is being used to store the nation s exceptionally large crop of potatoes. may be sure: Should the war continue at its present rate with the margin of production so close to that of consumption and with transportation on land and sea demoralized, the great .{16 natural causes of famine — drought, floods, and pests — will find a condition in which to work ravages, the severity of which has never been known. Whereas in the past famine has been largely local, or at most national, it would now be universal. The agony of Belgium, Poland, and Servia, makes vivid the results of war under normal, natural conditions. Add to this a widespread shortage in production, due to unfavorable manifes- tations of nature, and some idea can be had of what a real famine would mean. If famine cannot be entirely eliminated, what can be done to prevent it or to reduce its ravages? Must the horrors of An irrigation canal which furnishes to tens of thousands of acres the water which changes the country from a barren desert to fruitful fields. famine be added to those of war? These are questions that should concern deeply the American people in their effort to be of service to mankind. The officials of the Government and many others who have been called for emergency work are looking at these problems in a broad way and are adopting measures to aid in their solu- tion. The condition, however, is not subject to any simple rem- edy ; no panacea will insure food for all. Many complex features must be considered and many means of meeting the situation devised. In general the solution resolves itself into three ideas: Use less, distribute better, and produce more. The control of consumption is comparatively simple, distribution is dependent on the organization of existing forces, but the question of pro- duction is the one unknown factor — the weak link in the chain. AMERICAS PART IN PREVENTING FAMINE 317 Every human means must be used to make eertain this naturally imeertain element in our preparedness against famine. Our own nation is probably not in grave danger, but we have taken upon ourselves the burdens of the world and we must neither flinch nor falter. If droughts impend, means must be found for neutralizing their effects; if floods threaten, they must be prevented; if insects and diseases endanger crops, they must be controlled ; if the fertility of the soil is reduced, methods of restoring it should be sought; if there are great areas of land Sagebrush land in the desert prepared for a dry-farm crop. Millions of acres are being reclaimed by dry-farming. that are not producing, these should be reclaimed; if general farming methods are inefficient, these should be corrected. In short, every agency of scientific research and every device of effective business administration must be marshalled in order to make production large and dependable. Drought has been a great enemy of mankind in all ages; its conquest by science is a recent development. In ancient Egypt irrigation was used, but only during the present generation have the waters of the Nile been harnessed in a scientific manner. During the last few decades many great irrigation systems have been built in western America by private capital and by the Gov- ernment to store water for use during the dry season. Under some of these systems normal crop production might continue even if there were two or three rainless years. Structures of this kind are the best insurance the country can have against a famine caused by drought. Dry-farming, a modern development 318 IMPROVEMENT ERA in the scientific conservation of moisture, promises much as a means of overcoming the effects of drought in humid, as well as in arid, agriculture. Hand in hand with irrigation and dry-farming goes that powerful agency of reclamation — drainage. Large areas of the country's potentially most productive land lie idle awaiting re- demption by drainage to make them feed millions. Drainage is not confined in its usefulness to lands that are now entirely un- productive; it can be used to improve vast acreages that now produce diminished yields. Crop-devouring insects and blighting diseases are being feared less and less by the farmer. Before the development of science these scourges found man almost helpless, but each year the scientist welds one more link in the chain that will ultimately bind these plagues. As yet, however, their ravages destroy an- nually in this country crops worth tens of millions of dollars. Clearly the duty of the nation is to continue at an increased rate its researches into methods of handling all pests that threaten the food supply. The increasing demands made on the land make imperative the safeguarding of its productivity. The exhausting of soil fer- tility by improper methods of farming can no longer be toler- ated. Land is the greatest heritage of mankind — not for a year, a century, or an age — but for all time. It does not belong to a single generation; it is the birthright of all. Its abuse in this generation means famine for peoples yet unborn. The soil is exceedingly complex; no simple method of understanding its needs or supplying them is at hand. Science must continue its researches and it must be supplied with means to this end, if famine in this generation and in the future is to be avoided. Farming is probably the last of the great industries to be placed on a thorough business basis. Until recently very little attempt was made to subject farm business to a critical analysis with the idea of increasing efficiency and of eliminating waste. With the development of scientific farm management and the devising of methods for studying the farm business, much may be expected by way of increased efficiency in production. This has an important bearing on the food supply. Logan, Utah. Thoughts of a Farmer By Dr. Joseph M. Tanner