46 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



sitions. Probably the Canadian government has come the 

 nearest to success in this line of work, mainly because Canada 

 has considerable good land which is still available for settle- 

 ment and also because many of the men have had farm expe- 

 rience. Practically all of the Western States have made some 

 provision in their State governments for land settlement work, 

 not for soldiers alone, but for any one who wished to use land. 



Aside from the merits of the question of soldier land settle- 

 ment, there is the other and larger side which no State with 

 waste and unused land can long ignore, especially those States 

 which have to import most of their food supply. Massachu- 

 setts is in this latter class, both with respect to large areas of 

 unused land and in the importation of her food supply, and 

 therefore should seriously consider the problem of land settle- 

 ment and the re-establishment of her agricultural industry. The 

 soundest method of bringing this about is to encourage and 

 assist our present farmers in every legitimate way, and their 

 prosperity will inevitably cause others to go on the land and 

 begin farming here. The present farmers of the State should 

 not fear the advent of more farmers, as our State will become 

 prosperous agriculturally only when we make more of a business 

 of agriculture. Those industrial operations are most successful 

 where there is the greatest concentration of the same industry; 

 so it will be with agriculture. Competition develops business 

 ability. It also brings the buyers. There should be provision 

 in the Department of Agriculture for having accurate data on 

 hand at all times about farms for sale and large and small areas 

 which may be used for agricultural purposes. Sections of the 

 State where land should be developed should be carefully 

 studied, and also the progress of this work in other sections of 

 the country. 



There is a large population in this country constantly seeking 

 new places for farms. There is also a growing number of people 

 coming here from foreign countries who, if they had the oppor- 

 tunity, would settle on the land. To these people Massachu- 

 setts should offer a chance to become land-owning citizens. 

 The encouragement of farming offers an answer to the problem 

 presented by the prevalent general unrest. 



