bondage of an hereditary system. Similar work 

 is needed in many parts of the United States, 

 and it is already under way, in various forms, 

 under the leadership of the land-grant institu- 

 tions. 



The great agricultural need of the open 

 country is a system of diversified and rotation 

 farming, carefully adapted in every case to the 

 particular region. Such systems conserve the 

 resources of the land, and develop diversified 

 and active institutions. Nor is this wastage of 

 soil resources peculiar to one-crop systems, 

 although it is more marked in such cases: it is 

 a general feature of our agriculture due to a lack 

 of appreciation of our responsibility to society 

 to protect and save the land. Although we have 

 reason to be proud of our agricultural achieve- 

 ments, we must not close our eyes to the fact 

 that our soil resources are still being lost through 

 poor farming. 



This lessening of soil fertility is marked in 

 every part of the United States, even in the 

 richest lands of the prairies. It marks the pioneer 

 stage of land usage. It has now become an acute 

 national danger, and the economic, social and 



