1890.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 187 



population. While the country still maintains its suprem- 

 acy as a breeding-place for a healthy population, neverthe- 

 less, the adult individual can now live apparently as healthy 

 a life in the city as in the country. These two causes have 

 made cities not only more safe places of abode, but also 

 more comfortable places. Once the country was the pleas- 

 antest place for the poor man and the man of moderate 

 means to live in ; now it is the city. Food is cheap and 

 varied ; even such fragile and perishable materials as fresh 

 milk and eggs are abundant and cheap. The streets are 

 paved, sewered and well lighted, and water brought into 

 every house. These comforts have had very much to do in 

 directing the population to cities. Third, the quick trans- 

 mission of intelligence by telegraph and telephone has 

 given especial advantages to cities for trade. 



The comliination of these three chief causes with various 

 minor ones has resulted in the rapid growth of cities and 

 large towns, at the expense of the rural population all over 

 the Christian world. This has so chano^ed farmino; that 

 there is a re-adjustment of the methods of farming, of the 

 markets and of land values going on in all countries reached 

 by steam and telegraph, and wherever there is freedom of 

 occupation. 



Agriculture is the most plastic and adaptive of all voca- 

 tions, and at the same time the most conservative. Unlike 

 other industries, it cannot be killed by the most hostile leg- 

 islation or the most oppressive conditions. It is so plastic 

 that it molds itself to every pressure and conforms itself to 

 any settled condition, no matter how hard. This must be 

 so, for men must be fed ; consequently agriculture goes on 

 in some shape wherever civilization is found. The methods 

 of agriculture adapt themselves to local conditions, and the 

 business goes on in some shape so long as there is land to 

 till and mouths to feed. Manufactures and commerce may 

 be destroyed by hostile legislation or unfavorable conditions ; 

 agriculture cannot be destroyed without the destruction of 

 the people ;. it can be changed, but it cannot be killed. But 

 bear in mind that it is a conservative industry, and changes 

 but slowly. 



The history of agriculture in any one country is a most in- 



