industry is created the business of agriculture 

 the most important industry in all the world. An 

 industry of such fundamental importance, more- 

 over, should receive from the states and from the 

 federal government financial consideration in pro- 

 portion to its moral and economic importance as 

 well as to the probabilities that may be entertain- 

 ed for its continued improvement. For abundant 

 as are earth's natural resources, yet without the 

 aid and direction of human intelligence they could 

 not supply the world's ever increasing population 

 with food, clothing and shelter. Complying with 

 known conditions of natural reciprocity, however, 

 the animal and vegetable kingdoms submit to 

 whatever modifications become necessary in 

 order to supply the needs of the human family. 



Nature's Forces Operate Blindly. Moved, 

 therefore, partly by necessity and partly by curi- 

 osity, the material world has been and is being 

 continually modified by the ingenuity of man. Un- 

 directed, however, Nature's forces act blindly; 

 hence, produce mainly such qualities in organic 

 life as endurance, or adaptation to local soil and 

 climatic conditions. In the animal and vegetable 

 kingdoms the universal demand of Nature is to 

 perpetuate their species- "to produce after their 

 own kind." In accordance with this law the 

 humblest plant or animal is compelled to maintain 

 a perpetual warfare against its fellows for means 

 of subsistence. 



This competition for nourishment is usually so 

 sharp and continuous that mere existence or en- 

 durance rather than excellence or quality, seems 

 to be the end and aim of natural law. Hence, the 

 strong survive and the weak perish. 



Beginnings of Agriculture. Here agriculture 

 begins. By relieving plants of this intense compe- 



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