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upon how the farming is done. It is quite clear that farming cannot 

 continue to pay upon land which is constantly becoming poorer. 

 There must, under such circumstances, come a time when it will 

 cease to be remunerative and then perforce must be abandoned. It 

 is absolutely true that at this very hour a very considerable por- 

 tion of our State has already reached this deplorable condition. In 

 the nature of the case we cannot say just what the proportion is, but 

 it would probably be safe to say that at least one-tenth of our 

 cleared area has ceased to be remunerative under any ordinary 

 system of agriculture. Furthermore, almost every acre of this land 

 is becoming worse. This condition has become a pressing practical 

 problem, which rises beyond the domain of politics, and into that 

 of statesmanship. Whatever else may be doubtful, it is absolutely 

 certain that no state can continue to be prosperous if its population is 

 increasing and its resources decreasing. The only promise such a 

 condition makes for the future, is want, increased severity in the 

 struggle for food, and political unrest. The only effective measures, 

 of relief must be based upon a restoration of those unproductive 

 acres to a productive condition. We are limited, too, in the direc- 

 tion that these measures take, for they must involve a minimum of 

 expense with a maximum of good results. 



Thus far we know of but one method by whicih this can be done. 

 It is to restore all such land to a timbered condition. This proposi- 

 tion is radical, possibly ahead of the times, but it is true neverthe- 

 less, and in the experience of men will appear more and more true 

 each succeeding year. It is therefore the height of folly to ignore it. 



The one practical question is, how can a change be brought about? 

 This involves two ideas. First, What can the individual farmer 

 do? Second, What should the State do? In what follows it is to 

 be understood that we now speak solely of land which has been 

 farmed and become impoverished, or which has for years at least, 

 been considered part of a farm holding, even though it 'has never 

 been cleared. We do not refer at present to those larger areas from 

 which the lumber has been removed and whicli have been aban- 

 doned, without care, to the yearly forest fire. Such lands demand 

 a separate consideration. 



First, what can the individual farmer do? If he derives no 

 revenue from any lands for his labor he can, at least, wisely suspend 

 unpromising labor upon them and devote his time to something 

 which promises remuneration. This is simple, ordinary sense, and 

 any man may be supposed to be capable of appreciating the argu- 

 ment. He could also, at nominal cost, encourage the growth, of 

 forest trees upon them. There are thousands of acres in this Com- 

 monwealth which wre once fields, but whicli are now covered with 

 a growth of young, thrifty yellow pine. There is "hardly any land 



