INDIVIDUALISM 111 



middle west sells the old home and moves to the 

 mountain states, to the Pacific Coast, to the 

 South, to Mexico, or to Canada. 



Even when permanently settled, the farmer 

 does not easily combine with others for financial 

 or social betterment. The training of genera- 

 tions has made him a strong individualist, and he 

 has been obliged to rely mainly on himself. Self- 

 reliance being the essence of his nature, he does 

 not at once feel the need of cooperation for busi- 

 ness purposes or of close association for social 

 objects. In the main, he has been prosperous, 

 and has not felt the need of cooperation. If he 

 is a strong man, he prefers to depend on his own 

 ability. If he is ambitious for social recognition, 

 he usually prefers the society of the town to that 

 of the country. If he wishes to educate his chil- 

 dren, he avails himself of the schools of the city. 

 He does not as a rule dream of a rural organiza- 

 tion that can supply as completely as the city 

 the four great requirements of man health, 

 education, occupation, society. While his brother 

 in the city is striving by moving out of the busi- 

 ness section into the suburbs to get as much as 

 possible of the country in the city, he does not 



