cent. While the total population had increased practically six and one-third times, and the export of foodstuffs to foreign lands had also vastly increased, relatively speaking, less than two-thirds the number of farmers was necessary to supply the demand in 1919, as compared with 1840. Without doubt, this is due to the introduction of machinery on the farms.
It increased the capital necessary to enter into the new competitive farming and compelled vast numbers to seek employment in the developing industries who would otherwise have sought a living on the soil. This fact is amply illustrated by a glance at Table B, which shows the relative increase of the industrial population as compared with the total population for the same period.
See Page 63 (Table B).
The industrial population increased from 13 1-3 per cent in 1840 to 31.1 per cent of the total population in 1919, a relative increase of more than 2 1-3 times in 79 years, but also an actual increase of 14.8 times as compared with an actual increase of 4 1-9 times on the part of the working farmers (see Table D). The machine method of wealth production limited the opportunity of the ordinary man to compete on account of his lack of capital and he sought his outlet in the shops where, as a man without capital, he was at least able to earn a living.
See Page 64 (Table C).
Nowhere can the effects of the machines be more clearly shown than in the figures supplied by the census on the production of the cereals. (Grain) Table C gives the production of wheat, oats, corn, rye, barley, rice, buckwheat and Kaffir corn for the census years from 1840 to 1919. This, of course, gives but
