256 THREE ACRES AND LIBERTY 



the 'producer are watching for any support from whatever 

 direction. 



Passing by the obvious fact that production must precede 

 distribution, notice that, with all the energy that has been 

 devoted to production of farm products by the government 

 experts, it is clear that not only is there a shortage, but 

 that it has required all kinds of inducements, from the 

 President down, to get the farmers to increase their output, 

 the most potent of all being the cry of patriotism. 



Some explain this by showing how land monopoly prevents 

 men going back to the farms. While this is perfectly true, it 

 does not answer the question why farmers now in possession 

 of farms are not working them near their capacity. 



The answer of the ordinary man to this is inefficiency on 

 the part of the farmer, and up to the present this idea has 

 passed as sufficient to account for the situation. The 

 publicity given the whole farm question during the past six 

 months, however, has to a large extent dispelled the in- 

 efficiency answer, as the farmer has responded so completely 

 to the call, and the amateurs are beginning to realize that 

 there is something in farming besides tickling the earth with 

 a feather. All the facts so far brought out show the farmer 

 abundantly able to produce all the foodstuffs needed, pro- 

 vided he has a reasonable certainty that he will be able to 

 dispose of his produce at a price that will give him a fair 

 return for his labor. This being the case, it is easy to see that 

 putting more men back on farms would not remedy the condi- 

 tion we are now in ; but would rather increase the difficulty. 



The fact is, the two blades of grass theory has been exploded, 

 the increased production cry has been tried out, carried to its 

 logical conclusion, and found wanting, and the inefficiency 

 explanation has been proved a falsehood on its face. It is, 



