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Show (Decline Noted j In Crop Lands Erosion and Over-Use Take High Toll as Nation's Population Gains. WASHINGTON. United States crop lands soon may not support us In the manner to which we have been accustomed. Agricultural economists and nutritionists say it requires about three acres of land to provide each person with food and clothing under an average American standard of living. Statistics Indicate that shortly after aft-er 1950 the available good, productive produc-tive crop land in the United States will drop below that point. Population Growing. The reasons are these: Population is rising rapidly. Since 1940 the increase has been about 11 million. At the same time, experts of the I soil conservation service say that American land of all types is being I "lost" through erosion and overuse. The rate of loss is estimated at 500,000 acres of topsoil a year. 1 ! The census bureau estimated the' United States population In August, 1947, at 144,239,000 persons. The SCS says that there are about 460 million mil-lion acres of good crop land left in the United States. (This is land that will not be damaged by continuous use if good farming methods are practiced.) . Will Hit Record Low. A total of 429 million acres of good crop lands is needed to sustain everyone ev-eryone on an adequate diet and provide pro-vide clothing and other materials made from farm products. This leaves a reserve of JB1 million acres. It Is estimated the 1950 population will be at least 147.5 million per-'sons per-'sons and that the total still will rise. jThe peak isn't expected to be reached until about 1990, when the total is expected to be 165 million. If the forecasts are borne out, the rising population line and the de-' de-' clinlng crop land line in the United States land situation graph will j cross shortly after 1950. This will :be the first time in history when the available good crop land will fill be-jlow be-jlow an average of three acres for each person. . . |