232 THE FARMER AND THE NEW DAY 



well as for abolishing unjust discriminations, we need 

 all the wisdom, expert knowledge, skill, judgment, that 

 are available. We have at present no large unified 

 plan for making these factors fully available, nor even 

 for determining the nature of the problems involved. 

 We need therefore an American agricultural program 

 embodying a plan as big as the problem and so practical 

 that it may apply to every region, every type of farm- 

 ing, and to substantially every need of every farmer. 



A NEW STARTING POINT 



The war has made clear the need of a fundamental 

 change in the attitude of both producers and consumers 

 of soil-grown products, as well as in the point of view of 

 the distributing interests and of government itself. 

 Heretofore agricultural questions seemed to revolve 

 about the need of increased production as an end in 

 itself. It was assumed that all the soil produced would 

 be used. But the arrangements by which America has 

 contributed its share to the war-made demands for food 

 have implied a direct relationship of an international 

 need for food to an international supply of food. It 

 has become evident that this relationship is not broken 

 as the war closes. The problem of supplying the 

 world's food will be one of universal concern. It will 

 involve the reconstruction of national economy and of 

 international trade arrangements. The world's food 

 supply must therefore be the central question about 

 which will cluster the matters of more immediate con- 

 cern to farmers what kind of food is wanted, how 

 much of it and in what form, where can it best be pro- 

 duced? The character of national dietaries should be 

 determined on a thoroughly scientific basis and an effort 



