With the exception of the increase in breadstuffs 

 in 1907-8 caused by our desperate need to send 

 something abroad that would bring in money to 

 stay a panic, the decHne is constant and enormous. 

 A continuance of similar conditions, and no change 

 is in sight, must mean partial food famine and hard- 

 ship prices in the home market ; an annual indebted- 

 ness abroad which, having no foodstuffs to spare, 

 we must pay in cash; and financial depression and 

 industrial misfortune because we have drawn too 

 unwisely upon the soil. This impending misfortune 

 only the conservation of a neglected soil, and all 

 the interests connected with it can avert. 



The saving feature of the situation is the interest 

 already awakened in agricultural improvement ; an 

 interest which it should be the first object of this 

 congress to deepen and preserve. Much has been 

 done, but it is only a beginning. The experiment 

 station, the demonstration farm, agricultural in- 

 struction in public schools, emphasis upon right cul- 

 tivation, seed selection, and fertilization through 

 the keeping of live stock are slowly increasing the 

 agricultural product and raising the index of soil 

 values. But the work moves more slowly than our 

 needs. The possibilities are so great. One might 

 make the comparison with current agriculture else- 

 where almost at random, since European Russia is 

 the only first-class country more backward than 

 our own. Take the smallest and what might be 

 supposed the least promising illustration. 



Denmark's area is about twice that of Massa- 

 chusetts. It is occupied by more than two and a 

 half million people. This Jutland was originally 

 land of inferior fertiHty. What has been done with 

 it? Denmark is now called "the model farm of 

 Europe." Her exports of horses, cattle, bacon 



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