AGRICULTURAL DISCONTENT 763 



farmer feel that he is getting less than his share of the good 

 things of life. As Professor Giddings says : 



The isolated farmer and his family have begun to be affected by the strain 

 of modern life in a deplorable way. They are no longer ignorant of the luxu- 

 ries of the towns and a simple manner of life no longer satisfies them. The 

 house must be remodeled and refurnished ; the table must be varied ; clothing 

 must be in style ; and the horses, carriages, and harnesses must be costly. The 

 impossibility of maintaining this scale of expense under existing agricultural 

 conditions embitters life, and finally, in many cases, destroys the mental balance. 



In addition to economic grievances and the disturbing influence 

 of general social development, the nature of the farmer's occupa- 

 tion is such as to contribute to a discontented frame of mind. 

 However much intelligence or skill he may bring to his work, 

 results after all depend largely upon nature. Not infrequently, 

 when every possible precaution has been taken, his hopes are 

 suddenly blasted by an unpropitious change in the weather. It 

 is true that the adverse influence of unfavorable weather is likely 

 to be exaggerated at the time, but it is none the less depressing 

 in its psychological effect. The excessive rainfall or the unwelcome 

 drought of summer, the cutting winds of a rigorous winter, the 

 late frosts of spring or the early frosts of autumn these are 

 the product of natural forces with which the farmer is largely 

 powerless to cope. In the presence of such phenomena, the 

 most hopeful minds are apt to become depressed and to give 

 expression to f relinks of discontent. 



