ORGANIZATION OF THE AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISE 369 



with his neighbors, each man profits only by his own study; but if 

 they meet frequently to discuss their common problems and to 

 exchange ideas, each man profits, not only by his own study, but by 

 that of all his neighbors. Again, much of the work of organized 

 marketing must begin before there is anything to sell. It must begin 

 with production. Successful marketing consists, first, in finding out 

 just what the consumers want and how they want it packed and 

 delivered. To get the whole community to grow a uniform product 

 such as the consumers demand requires organization of the commu- 

 nity to standardize its production. Again, to stimulate rivalry in 

 improving the products of a community, both as to quality and 

 quantity, requires an organization to recognize and show some appre- 

 ciation of merit. 



This committee should also study to discover new methods of 

 increasing the productivity of the community, new crops, new and 

 improved methods of soil treatment, the field selection of seed, scien- 

 tific breeding of live stock, and even the conservation of manure. 

 Too much emphasis can hardly be laid on the importance of organized 

 promotion of breeding enterprises. So long as this is left wholly to 

 individual breeders, each one working alone, no great headway can 

 be made by small farmers with little capital. We have depended 

 wholly upon importation from abroad, and, in spite of the millions 

 of dollars which have been expended for imported breeding stock, there 

 is probably no European country which has so much poor stock as 

 the United States, and there are not many where the average is 

 so low. 



One reason for our indifferent success in animal breeding has been 

 the lack of neighborhood organization. Where a whole community 

 is interested in the same breed of live stock, where practically every 

 farm is a breeding station, there is, first, a wider basis of selection 

 than where only one farm is given over to that breed. A wider basis 

 of selection makes possible more scientific mating than is possible 

 where there are only a few breeding animals from which to select. In 

 the second place, a neighborhood enterprise of this kind gives greater 

 permanency and continuity than is possible where only a few indi- 

 vidual farmers are interested. It has happened so often in this 

 country that it may almost be said to be the rule that by the time a 

 successful breeder has built up a superior herd, stud, or flock his life 

 is drawing to a close, his sons have moved to town, and his animals 

 are scattered. If, on the other hand, the whole community in which 



