732 AGRICULTURE 



area is naturally best adapted to this enterprise. The central Mis- 

 sissippi Valley is primarily adapted to the production of cereals and 

 not so well adapted as the North Atlantic States to the production 

 of grass either as pasture or hay. These Atlantic States are particu- 

 larly adapted to growing all kinds of trees and of grass. In the course 

 of time, therefore, we may expect that the production of live-stock 

 will become more important in the East. Out of this grow some imme- 

 diate problems. At present, live-stock husbandry in the East can be 

 carried on economically only when large tracts of land can be pur- 

 chased at low price. It is possible to purchase small tracts of land 

 at comparatively low price, but not possible to purchase large areas. 

 More of the live-stock will be raised on small farms within the more 

 densely populated districts, with comparatively few animals to a 

 place. This will lead to the question of maintaining the improvement 

 in domestic animals. It will mean the gradual substitution of soiling 

 systems for pasturing systems, and this will lead to remoter economic 

 and social changes. 



New industries are to be developed. This calls for special govern- 

 mental recognition. The national Department of Agriculture aids 

 such new enterprises by giving counsel and investigating the special 

 technical difficulties; but is this kind of aid sufficient? If the govern- 

 ment helps new manufacturing industries by giving them special 

 privileges, why not aid new agricultural industries by bounties? If a 

 bounty system were to become a recognized public policy (following 

 perhaps the experience with sugar bounties), would it result in un- 

 desirable social and economic changes? The money grants to agri- 

 culture are only a fair offset to special privileges given to other 

 industries. 



The Social and Economic Problems 



We are now returning to the farmer, although still holding to the 

 farm. There is a distinct recrudescence of the educational point of 

 view. The new emphasis is to be placed on the man rather than 

 on his crops. The farmer is a citizen as well as a farmer; he is an im- 

 portant factor in public affairs. 



The new education must reach the farmer in terms of the whole 

 man his particular business, his home and its ideals, his relation 

 to good roads, good schools, the church, to social forces, to all that 

 makes up a broad and satisfying country life. We must give atten- 

 tion to the ideals of living as well as to the ideals of farming. The 

 sanitation of the farm-home, the architecture of the buildings (what 

 silent and effective teachers buildings are!), the reading, the char- 

 acter of the farmyard, the questions associated with the bringing-up 

 of children, the social and commercial organizations these are the 

 kinds of subjects that the rising educational impulse must attack. 



