The Farmer's Responsibility 59 



raises the crops, whether of forests or cotton 

 or wheat. The solution of the problem is to 

 reach this man. This man is coming to a new 

 sense of his responsibilities. We often say that 

 the farmer feeds all the people. He must do 

 more than this: he must leave his part of the 

 earth's surface in more productive condition 

 than when he received it. This he will accom- 

 plish by a better understanding of the powers 

 of the soil and the means of conserving them, 

 for every well-managed soil should grow richer 

 rather than poorer; and, speaking broadly, 

 the farm should have within itself the power 

 of perpetuating itself. The enrichment of land 

 by the mere purchase of mined fertilizers 

 which is transportation, or the exploitation of 

 one place for the benefit of another, will not 

 accomplish this. Every young man going on 

 the old farm should feel that he has practically 

 a new farm to begin on ; and every good farm 

 should pay for itself, buildings and all, in every 

 generation of men. A farm youth, as well as any 

 other youth, should be able to start anew, if he 

 wants to, even though he does not go west. 



