INTRODUCTION. 19 



areas smaller than states, so that it is necessary to do some 

 estimating based on state averages to get the relative impor- 

 tance of different crops in each region. The total value of 

 crops in each county is given by the last census, and by 

 comparing the average crop value per farm with the invest- 

 ment in farm property, expenditures for fertilizers, labor 

 and feed, and making allowance for some minor items not 

 covered by the census, such as interest, taxes, depreciation, 

 grocery bills, and the value of the farmer's own time, one 

 can make a rough estimate of the average farmer's profits 

 in a given region.* 



Our information about roads, telephones, schools, banks, 

 lumbering, manufacturing, etc., is not as definite as might 

 be wished, but those things usually develop in proportion to 

 the density of population, and must be taken largely for 

 granted by those who have no personal knowledge of the 

 regions discussed. 



Those who live in the area treated will doubtless detect 

 some omissions or even errors in the descriptions of their 

 own neighborhoods, but at the same time they will almost 

 surely discover many facts previously unknown to them, 

 especially about parts of the area they are not familiar 

 with ; and they should bear in mind that in trying to cover 

 such a large area in a publication of this size perfection is 

 impossible. Information about shortcomings will be grate- 

 fully received, however. 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



All but one of the half-tone illustrations are from photo- 

 graphs by the author, and only two (Figs. 21 and 22) have 

 been published before. If a larger number had been used 

 the subject could of course have been illustrated more 

 thoroughly, but it seemed best to restrict the number and 

 also to print them in the text instead of plates, in order to 

 save time and money, and give this preliminary report a 

 wider circulation than it would have if more sumptuously 

 gotten up. 



Some readers who have land to sell may be disappointed 

 because the illustrations used to show agricultural conditions 



*It should be borne in mind that the prices of most commodities 

 have about doubled since 1910, or in other words that money is now 

 worth only about half as much as it was then, so that all 1910 values 

 should be multiplied by two to approximate present conditions. 



