EDITORIAL. 423 



farming should be regulated to the i)r()(lucti\it3' of the land. The 

 lack of such an equilibrium was held to be responsible for the dis- 

 satisfaction of the farmer and the attempt to better his condition bj^ 

 making a change. This was thought to be reflected in a general way 

 in the ownership of land. It was shown from the statistics compiled 

 by the recent census that the percentage of land-owning farmers has 

 been on a decline for the last twent}^ years. The causes for this decline 

 apparently- vary in diflerent localities. In some cases the g-reat 

 advance in the price of land has brought about an increase in the tenant 

 system, whik^ in other localities the loss of productivity of the soil has 

 necessitated the combination of farms into larger areas under the 

 ownership of fewer individuals, with tenants. Land is often retained 

 for sentimental reasons long after it has become so infertile as to 

 render other occupations necessary for the support of the family. 

 The showing of decline in land ownership caused surprise and led to 

 considerable discussion of the causes and effects. 



In a paper on Improvement in Farm Management, W. M. Hays, of 

 Minnesota, urged the desirability of improving the social and educa- 

 tional conditions of farmers, in order to make their living conditions 

 more pleasant and to retain the most active and progressive boys 

 upon the farm. Attention was called to the various factors operating 

 for the development of scientific agriculture and increasing farm 

 production, and thus making the business of farming more attractive 

 from a financial standpoint. The problem of arranging a rotation of 

 crops and making combinations of profitable crops was discussed in 

 considerable detail. The methods followed at the Minnesota Agri- 

 cultural College in teaching farm management were described, in 

 which the students are required to prepare plans for the la3'ing out 

 and management of their home farms, wnth the proposed crops for a 

 period of ten j^ears in advance. The preparation of these plans in 

 a definite form necessitates a careful consideration of all the practical 

 problems of farm management, as applied especially to each individ- 

 ual's farm. The adoption of a definite system of farm management, 

 with a simple system of bookkeeping, it was urged would enable 

 farmers to estimate accurately the profits derived from various lines 

 of w'ork, and to abandon the production of unprofitable crops. 



The discussion which followed the presentation of these papers evi- 

 denced the interest which they aroused in the economic and sentimental 

 features of agriculture and the conditions of rural life. It was agreed 

 that the practical solution of the problems concerned in maintaining a 

 large percentage of farming population and in securing the greatest 

 net returns from the farm is to be accomplished along educational 

 lines. 



Ever since the discovery I)}" Priestley and Cavendish in 1Y85 that 

 the nitrogen and oxygen of the air can be made to combine under the 



