Digging to the Roots of a Dying Tree 15 



an average of but eleven men and boys for each ten 

 farms. 



In New York State, 22,540 farms were abandoned 

 in the last ten years. The State has a total popula- 

 tion in excess of 10,000,000, but the number directly 

 engaged in agricultural pursuits is only 380,000. 



Another disturbing feature of the rural situation is 

 the increase of tenant farmers. Figures are not avail- 

 able for the country as a whole, but in many of the 

 richest agricultural States, more than half of the land 

 is in the hands of such tenants, who have no stake of 

 their own in the soil; hence, no interest in maintaining 

 its fertility, or improving the standard of rural life. 



But all this bears only upon effects, not causes. The 

 easiest explanation is that men prefer the town, because 

 it pays big wages ; and that war-time wages were par- 

 ticularly alluring. Doubtless the War accelerated the 

 movement; but, since the movement preceded the War 

 by at least 80 years, the cause must be sought else- 

 where. So, at least, thought Secretary Lane and his 

 advisers; and they determined to investigate the fa- 

 vorite theme of poets and orators : the proposition that 

 the farm home is the cornerstone of American democ- 

 racy, and the source of all that is best in our national 

 life. 



They started with the assumption that the drift 

 throughout the nation from the country to the city 

 was much greater than the tide in the opposite direc- 

 tion; and that the "Back-to-the-land" movement, 

 speaking in broad terms, had signally failed. They 

 then went on to consider another assumption, which 



