A NEW AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMME 257 



dustry and life. And partly in anticipation of these 

 conditions, the State of California has created a 

 State colonization commission which is projecting a 

 big programme for the colonization of home-own- 

 ing farmers in that State. Legislation has been 

 enacted, and an appropriation of $250,000 has been 

 made with which to buy a large tract of land. The 

 federal farm-loan board is to be asked to co-operate 

 in the development of a colony as described above. 

 It is planned to purchase 10,000 acres of land, and 

 with the aid of experts to determine the size of farms, 

 the kind of agriculture to be adopted, the character 

 and grouping of houses and farm buildings, and the 

 educational, recreational, and co-operative agencies 

 that can be developed in connection with it. The 

 State imiversity is co-operating in the project. It 

 is planned to limit the right of settlers to speculate 

 by restricting the right to sell their purchases. The 

 individual farms, fully equipped, are estimated to 

 cost about $5,000, to be paid for by the owners 

 within fifty years' time, with interest at the rate of 

 4 per cent. A minimum capital of about $1,500 

 is to be required from each applicant, a large part 

 of which is to be used as working capital. 



A similar measure, known as the Grosser bill, 

 is now before Congress. It looks to the creation 

 of a rotary fimd of $10,000,000 for the purpose of 

 developing farm colonies, the farms to be either 

 sold or leased to settlers under terms similar to those 



