82 The State and the Farmer 



itself, working through an agricultural college. 

 Such an inquiry made carefully and without 

 haste by men who are thoroughly well pre- 

 pared, and continuing over a series of years, 

 would give us the data for all future work with 

 local problems. We must have the geograph- 

 ical facts. We are now lacking them. We talk 

 largely at random. We must discover the fac- 

 tors that determine the production of crops 

 and animals in the localities, and the conditions 

 that underlie and control the farm life. Consid- 

 eration of these conditions involves study of 

 local climate ; knowledge of the kinds, classifica- 

 tion and distribution of the soils and the rela- 

 tion of place and altitude to production of 

 crops and live-stock ; determination of the best 

 drainage practices on various soil types ; con- 

 sideration of the cultural experience and ma- 

 nurial needs as adapted to the types; inquiry 

 into the practice with all leading crops and 

 products of the localities ; study of the possi- 

 bilities for farm water-power ; collation of com- 

 munity experience. Such a study of a state 

 should be broad and general enough to con- 



