20 



N. H. Agricultural Experiment Station [Sta. Bull. 314 



differences in the application of the prog:ram. As long as the conserva- 

 tion program is a law of the land affording benefits to all regions, New 

 Hampshire farmers should take every advantage of the opportunities 

 offered. To a large extent the efficiency and the intelligence of their 

 cooperation with the program will decide the fate of many farms in the 

 next quarter century. There may be grounds for honest differences of 

 opinion as to the merits of the law and the details of its administration 

 but all New Hampshire interests that have an understanding of the 

 competitive situation will unanimously support the participation of 

 New Hampshire farmers in the program to the limit of social profitable- 

 ness as long as the law exists. 



The full significance of the long-time results to New Hampshire can- 

 not be predicted or measured entirely from data obtained from farms 

 in this state. The agriculture of New Hampshire is competing with 

 agriculture elsewhere and the farm operators of the state have com- 

 parative advantage in interregional competition for a few products 

 only, and even then, only with respect to nearby markets. 



What Farms Should be Enrolled for Maximum Social Gains? 



How many of the farms which were not enrolled would it be in the 

 social interest to include in future enrollments? This is a difficult 

 question involving broad implications of land use and the welfare of 

 many rural New Hampshire families. 



Table 13. Actual payments in 12 towns under the 1937 Conservation 



Program. 



* Includes practices completed on individual farms in excess of allot- 

 ments. These excess practices were not eligible for payment. 



