392 AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 



operation depends upon neighborliness, and good neighbors. 

 Common policies with respect to the territory of the neighbor- 

 hood, the institutions of the neighborhood, the roads of the 

 neighborhood, imply a degree of intensive organization. 



The problem of organization of this territorial unit which 

 stands above the farm household involves, first of all, a some- 

 what official or at least standardized recognition of neighbor- 

 hoods in the county. In fact, investigation is very much needed 

 at this point in order to locate these population groups which 

 are not bounded by statute lines. A map of a county containing 

 all the neighborhood groups discoverable would go far toward 

 clearing up and making standard this unit. It is quite probable 

 that the neighborhood population group, which has the flavor 

 of spontaneous choice about it, is one of the most important 

 groups for organization and social utilization in farm life. 

 How shall this unit be integrated into modern rural county 

 organization? Is it most naturally a school group? A co- 

 operative group? A farmers' club group? A neighborhood 

 house group? 



It is perhaps idle to let the fancy go upon this problem without 

 considerable study of the social texture, psychology, and eco- 

 nomics of the neighborhood. Very little as yet has appeared, 

 either in literary or survey form, upon this feature of farm life. 

 Some few settlements, school districts, villages, some few moun- 

 tain clans, have been described ; enough in fact to substantiate 

 the claim that every county is packed with socio-economic 

 population groups of this character. It is greatly to be desired 

 that some responsible investigating agency should give us a 

 study of some county and make such an analysis as will etch the 

 neighborhood group into our geographic sense. Not till this 

 study has been made can the problem of organization even be 

 stated. 



The business community. As the farmer becomes increas- 

 ingly a business man, it is of growing importance that he should 

 be a recognized member of some one business community. 

 Business is interlocking. The mercantile business, the manu- 

 facturing business, the farming business, are fit subjects for 



