NECESSAEY PEEPAEATION 107 



produced enough wheat for its bread, and Ohio, 

 Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri and Iowa 

 had to import wheat for their bread. For a pe- 

 riod of four years Iowa had grown less wheat 

 than her people have eaten. And yet we boast 

 of agricultural greatness. 



This then is an opportune time for us engaged 

 in the business of farming to take an inventory 

 to ascertain what preparations are necessary for 

 the proper conduct of our business and also ask 

 ourselves are we profitably conserving our raw 

 material? Are we profitably utilizing our by- 

 products and converting them into use and 

 wealth f In fine, are we getting the very best out 

 of our business? Does our business pay? If it 

 does not do these things, can we bring about the 

 achievement of these ends and how? 



The author is sure that they cannot be brought 

 about by the old practices of farming which have 

 been the sole responsibility for our worn and 

 worn-out and abandoned soils. There must be 

 better preparation upon the part of those engaged 

 in, or who are about to engage in, the business of 

 farming. 



Those who are already harnessed up to the 

 business of farming must see the vision of bet- 

 ter farming. They must lay aside the prejudices 

 and environments that have been handed down 

 and thrown around them by their fathers, re- 

 membering that their fathers, perhaps, meant 

 well, because they had rich virgin soil at their 

 disposal and did not see the needs of soil con- 

 servation, and enrichment as we now see it. 



While those who are engaged in the business 



