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SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE 



March, 1922. 



were conceived in the best of faith, for 

 worthy objects, were honestly and cons- 

 cientiously administered but failed disas- 

 trously, not on account of faulty method 

 but because they were in direct violation 

 .of economic law. In extenuation it must 

 be pointed out that these economic laws 

 were not clearly understood, solely for lack 

 •of scientific investigation of the principles 

 involved. It might also be mentioned 

 that our Dominion Soldiers' Settlement of- 

 ficials have found it necessary to revise 

 some of their original ideas and regula- 

 tions on the basis of principles discovered 

 in recent economic investigations. These 

 revisions have furthered the success of the 

 scheme particularly in these trying days 

 ,of deflation and depression. 



Furthermore, scientific analysis of farm 

 business is necessary to acquaint the con- 

 suming public with the true financial con- 

 dition of the industry which supplies its 

 basic need, food, while the farmer world 

 is entitled to the fullest opportunity to 

 put before the consuming world its ad- 

 vantages and troubles, its profits and los- 

 ses, in the manner best understood by the 

 public i.e. dollars and cents. The individ- 

 ual farmer must h'ave access to authorita- 

 tive information as to the actual financial 

 benefits tliat may accrue to his wliole farm 

 business from the inauguration of metliods 

 and practices indicated by research and 

 investig-ation in the other agricultural 

 sciences. The operating farmei- must be 

 apprised of the part played by such factors 

 as size of farm, specialization, intensity of 

 business, distribution of capital, and land 

 value in the successful operation of his 

 farm as it now exists, or as it may have 

 to become, because of economic changes 

 brought about by increasing populations, 

 rising land values, and adaptability of land 

 .and locality to new types of farming. Gov- 

 ernmental and other public bodies and 

 farmer co-operative institutions engaged 

 in financial schemes for the advancement 

 •of the material, mental, or moral welfare 

 of the farm community must have full 

 knowledge of the resources available in 

 the community for the furtherance of these 

 -schemes in order that these schemes maj' 

 be soundly and permanently established. 



The above itemized information, in ad- 

 dition to much more not herein mentioned, 

 ccan be procured only from scientific in- 



vestiga'ion of actual farm business, from 

 orderly and logical compilation of essen- 

 tial farm data, broad generalization, care- 

 ful classification and practical deduction 

 of essential principles of this accumulated 

 data. This would appear to be extremely 

 important, necessary work and fruitful of 

 much good result in the direction of the 

 business of farm production along its 

 proper course. 



Let us now look to the prospects for good 

 to be accomplished from investigation into 

 the marketing and distribution field. 

 Sound argument can be advanced for the 

 necessity of the farmer embarking into this 

 field of endeavour. Let me point out one 

 or two of the fundamental reasons. First, 

 the commercial distributor lias a viewpoint 

 essentially different to the farmer on the 

 question of volume of production. He 

 naturally prefers to handle 10 units of any 

 commodity at a profit of 10 cents per unit 

 than 100 units at 1 cent margin. The 

 farmer who can get larger profits only by 

 inci'eased production naturally demands 

 that the distiil)ution system be based on 

 the 100 units at one cent profit per unit. 

 These viewpoints can be reconciled only by 

 the farmer assuming a larger share of the 

 burden- of distribution. Of equal import- 

 ance is the necessity of the farmer getting 

 for himself a share of the profits, both 

 financial and mental, that arise in the busi- 

 ness of marketing. The financial pro- 

 fits lie must have in order that he 

 may have some surplus out of which 

 to provide himself with those mat- 

 erial and intellectual benefits which are so 

 necessarv in making the farm as agreeable 

 and satisfying a place to live as the city. 

 The mental pi''ofits or more correctly 

 speaking the mental stimulus that accrues 

 from marketing he must have in order that 

 he may be properly equipped with ini- 

 tiative and skill to solve the problems 

 growing out of farm isolation, rural de- 

 population, and all associated disadvant- 

 ages under which farming is known to la- 

 bour. Tliere is no doubt that the material 

 and intellectual attractions which city life 

 affords liave been supplied and supported 

 in a large degree by the profits and by 

 the mental stimulus tliat have arisen from 

 the business of marketing farm produce. 

 It becomes necessary therefore that at least 

 a fair .sliare of them should be regained bv 



