THE TRAINING OF FARMERS 



cial skill must develop on our farms. This 

 skill is, of course, conditioned on local 

 knowledge. The greatest fundamental need 

 in country life is a thorough-going survey 

 in detail of our agricultural resources. 

 Something is being done in this direction 

 by the colleges of agriculture, but it is 

 pitiably small when compared with the 

 needs. Within such a survey scheme should 

 be included, as component parts, all soil 

 surveys, orchard surveys, live-stock and 

 dairy surveys, and whatever other system- 

 atic studies are made of the products, in- 

 dustries, people, and institutions of the 

 localities. All this geographical know- 

 ledge should be mapped and platted. 



An agricultural survey of national scope 

 should be set on foot, with all the states 

 cooperating. The work should be nation- 

 alized under the United States Department 

 of Agriculture. A well-analyzed plan 

 should be made by a committee of com- 

 petent persons representing many regions 

 and many lines of study. The scheme hav- 

 ing been perfected, the work could proceed 

 systematically year after year, each state 

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