SOIL DEPLETION 89 



matter of very serious concern, whether farmers 

 are to continue to dominate and direct the policy 

 of the people as they do now in large part in the 

 more prosperous agricultural sections, or whether, 

 because of soil deterioration they shall become a 

 dependent class or shall be tenants in name, but 

 laborers in fact and working for an uncertain 

 wage. 



Fortunately there is abundant evidence on 

 every hand, both North and South, that the 

 fertility of the soil can be maintained, or where 

 it has been greatly decreased can be restored at 

 least approximately to its virgin fertility. The 

 hope of the future lies in the work of the public 

 institutions that are devoted to the new agricul- 

 ture. The United States Department of Agri- 

 culture, experiment stations, colleges of agricul- 

 ture and other agencies are making great progress 

 in correcting these and other deficiencies, and 

 these institutions deserve the sympathetic sup- 

 port of all the people. The demonstration work 

 of the Department of Agriculture in the Southern 

 states is a marked example of the good that can 

 be done by teaching the people how to diversify 

 their farming and to redeem themselves from the 



