72 AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 



system may not only point to the production within the nation 

 of the entire supply of the necessities of life and the munitions 

 of war, but may result in an agricultural policy which looks to 

 the production of a large number of effective soldiers rather than 

 a maximum of agricultural products. In this way the size of 

 farms, the tenure of land, and the credit system may all be 

 modified with a view to maintaining a very much larger number 

 of farm families than would otherwise exist. 



The larger the country and the greater the diversity of soil 

 and climate found within her borders, the smaller will be the 

 economic loss in adopting a national system of agriculture. 

 For this reason the United States would be in a strong position 

 compared with other nations under the necessity of a self- 

 sufficing national economy. Yet the United States may well 

 afford to spend millions annually in maintaining friendly inter- 

 national relations rather than undertake to live an isolated 

 economic life. 



A study of the exports and the imports of the United States 

 will give basis for some conclusions regarding the way in which 

 American agriculture would be affected if a complete national 

 system were adopted with respect to the production at home 

 of all the agricultural products used in our homes and in the 

 maintenance of our national life. 



The agricultural imports may be classified as follows on the 

 basis of the possibility of producing the supply at home : 



i. Of our agricultural imports some cannot under natural 

 conditions be produced in the United States. There is a lack 

 of proper soil and climate which makes it physically impossible 

 to grow the product without providing artificially the necessary 

 conditions. For example, rubber, cocoa, and bananas are 

 tropical products which play an important part in our life, 

 and which we would probably do without if we could not carry 

 on commerce with South and Central America. Coffee may 

 belong in this same class, though it has been claimed that 

 rather large potential coffee areas exist along our southern 

 border. Where these articles are luxuries, we may be better 

 off in times of war without them, but where they are important 



