THE BRAIN OF THE EARTH 



ground somewhat of the possibiHties of an oc- 

 cupation then in its infancy so far as knowl- 

 edge went, set forth this principle: "Perfect 

 agriculture is the true foundation of trade and 

 industry; it is the foundation of the riches of 

 states." 



In a still more definite and practical way 

 this is appreciated today by those who are giv- 

 ing their lives to the service of the New Earth. 

 Most important of all this service is the study 

 of the soil, the fundamental factor in all the 

 varied lines of life that branch out from the 

 main trunk of agriculture. How to conserve 

 this soil, how to feed it, how to restore it to 

 life when dead, what it is composed of, how 

 it is formed, how to interpret it, so to speak, 

 so that any man may understand it, — these 

 have been, and still are, among the problems 

 presented. 



And so arose the study of soils, enlisting the 

 closest attention of the chemist, the bacteriolo- 

 gist, the geologist, the agronomist, all that 

 relatively small but powerful coterie of men 

 who are the investigators and interpreters of 

 modern agriculture. 



Such a man as one of these meets the farmer 



9 



