52 THE " BACK TO THE LAND " MOVEMENT 



14. What are the usual arguments, from the sdcial standpoint, against the 



big farm? Quote big farmers on this point. 



15. Why is the nature of the rural population of such vast importance to the 



country as a whole? 



16. Compare the sanitary conditions of city and country, as evidenced by the 



military draft. 



17. What economic law will, in the end, determine the size of farms? 



18. State the findings of the following "Surveys": Chester County; Nebraska 



survey. 



19. Quote, with comment, the statement in the Weekly News Letter of the 



Department of Agriculture concerning renting versus buying a farm. 



20. Show significance of competition question in agriculture. 



21. Would a system of smaller holdings bring in harmful competition? 



22. Show possibilities of increased consumption of farm products, particularly 



milk and milk products, fruit. 



23. Cite statistics showing relative rates of increase of city and rural popula- 



tion; of changes in average size of farms. Is the rural population in- 

 creasing? Is the size of farms getting smaller? 



QUESTIONS SUGGESTED BY THE TEXT 

 1. Give an account of the strip system of land holdings in Europe. 



r* T TX 1 1 1 1 i i .A . Ill* j o 



lack of prosperity? 



peasant class of farmers, 

 be a benefit or a curse to the Republic? 



5. What is the fallacy, if any, in Jefferson's views of a rural versus an urban 



population? 



6. What is a correct land policy for the United States? Do we have any 



land policy at the present time? If so, what is it? 



REFERENCES 



1. JOHNSON, O. R.: "Big Farms or Little Farms Which? " Farm Life, 

 Nov., 1916. 



2. Farming's Future. Editorial, Farm, Stock and Home, Sept. 1, 1916. 



3. For conditions in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America, 

 Mexico, see publications of International Institute of Agriculture, Rome, 

 Italy, particularly International Review of Agricultural Economics. 



4. For brief comment on current conditions and activities in all parts of 

 the world, see the daily Commerce Reports, issued by the Department of 

 Commerce, Washington, D. C. 



5. Many books dealing with the problems of land settlement, closer settle- 

 ment, size of holdings, etc., have appeared in recent years. Hence the follow- 

 ing list deals chiefly with the older publications: YOUNG, ARTHUR, "Travels 

 in France"; "Land Tenure," Cobden Club Essays; KAY, JOSEPH, "Free Trade 

 in Land"; SAGERSON, GEORGE, "History of Land Tenures and Land Classes 

 in Ireland"; PRATT, E. A., "The Transition in Agriculture." 



APPENDIX 



Migration from Denmark to the United States, Compared with Similar Migration 



from the Netherlands and Belgium, showing Relatively High Per Cent of 



Danish Migration. 



Per cent of 



Foreign born total popula- 

 Population in U. S. 1910, tion migrated 

 born in to the United 

 States 



Denmark 2,775,076 181,621 6.5 



Netherlands 6,114,302 120,053 2.0 



Belgium 7,571,387 49,397 .6 



