277 THE PROFESSION 



OF FARMING 



grow in Mexico, and there is no doubt that the 

 increasing price would make it worth while to 

 find a species that will grow in our deserts. 



We know almost nothing of nature's re- 

 sources; there are uses for many plants now re- 

 garded as pests, but no one has yet investigated ; 

 quantities of roots, fruits and herbs not now in 

 use are valuable edibles. We call them weeds 

 because we do not yet know their uses. 



Someone might write a useful book and gain 

 reputation and position by summarizing and 

 popularizing for Americans the vast literature 

 on Intensive Farming which exists in France, 

 Germany, Italy, Denmark, Holland and other 

 countries. The literature of farming is exten- 

 sive. We have over 400 farm periodicals in the 

 U. S. The Astor Library in New York has some 

 ten thousand volumes on agriculture in which one 

 can lose himself, if not his mind ; but there is lit- 

 tle of the lore of foreign countries accessible at 

 present in this country ; however, there is enough 

 for newspaper and magazine articles, the recep- 

 tion of which might encourage the expenditure 

 of time and money to get these most important 



