78 The State and the Farmer 



web of telephone communication. All develop- 

 ments depend for their final success on com- 

 plementary movements. 



^Reconstructive movements. 



Reconstructive agencies are already well 

 under way. All the shift of which I have 

 spoken is not without its decided reaction. 

 The change of center has called for new kinds 

 of institutions to stand for the country-life 

 interests. These institutions are largely gov- 

 ernmental. They reflect the rapidly growing 

 tendency toward state or federal solidarity, 

 and the delegation of power from the locality 

 to the capitol. The rural population is now in 

 danger of looking beyond its own institutions 

 to government. 



The greatest of all these new agricultural 

 institutions in this country is the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, working from 

 the center outward, and gradually touching 

 almost every isolated phase of country life. 

 The growth of this great institution should 

 be a source of pride to every American. 



