26 



of crops of all kinds. It matters not that the gold pro- 

 duction is becoming greater each year and prices are 

 advancing steadily, unless we are to have good results 

 from agricultural operations. Nobody cares about high 

 prices unless there is something to sell. We have here 

 in the United States an era of great prosperity simply 

 because there has been for a number of years a steady 

 increase in farm production, not a spurt one year and 

 a failure the next, but continuing good crops over large 

 areas of the country. 



This is the true basis of prosperity. It is therefore 

 of real interest to men in every walk of life to do all that 

 is in their power to have continuance of the success of 

 the farmers. Therefore the business or professional man 

 helps himself indirectly when he in any manner aids or 

 prompts the farmer to gain a better knowledge of his soils 

 and scientific soil culture. 



It used to be said, and with much truth, that the 

 great safety valve for the whole economic system of the 

 United States was the free homes of the West. When- 

 ever industrial conditions became unsatisfactory in the 

 manufacturing centers the surplus labor was shunted 

 off to the free or cheap land of the west. Now, that 

 this practically free land is no longer obtainable, the same 

 effect comes through increase in the producing power of 

 the farms already occupied. The farmer cannot cure 

 his dissatisfaction by turning quickly to unoccupied land; 

 he can increase his product and output by applying better 

 methods to his farming operations. 



Few people realize how this process of getting more 

 out of the soil by means of scientific farming has been 

 developed in recent years, especially in the middle and 



