12 



MAN ON THE LANDSCAPE 



FIG-. 7. This Virginia landscape is slowly toeing- brought toward a state of 

 normalcy. Fart of the change has bsen forced toy Nature, as when man was 

 driven, by erosion, from the mountain sides, and the forest now creeps down to 

 reclaim its usurped domain. Another part of the change has been made volun- 

 tarily by man, as the strip cropping-, enriching of pastures, etc., result from 



scientific knowledge. 



A rich landscape not only provides abundance for a maximum 

 population, but releases workers for industrial production. It pro- 

 vides leisure for the individual and opportunity for self-development. 

 A rich landscape provides surpluses above the bare necessities; it 

 makes possible education, scientific research, art and music, commu- 

 nity services and improvements. Social progress rests on the land- 

 scape. All things are bound together. 



Man's power to reorganize and improve his operations on the 

 landscape increases day by day. The customary lag of 10 to 50 years, 

 between laboratory discovery of basic facts and widespread benefits 

 of their application, must be, is being, shortened. Education at all 

 stages must be alert to absorb at once the rich juices of research bear- 

 ing on the fundamentals of life and living. The technicalities of 

 gadgets are not important to the average citizen or student. He 

 hardly has time to learn the essentials. Careful selection of learning 

 experiences is necessary. 



Every citizen of the world has the right to sense, to see, to know 

 the complete unity of which he is a part. He has a right to know the 

 imperfections of his total environment. He has a right to know the 

 causes of these defects. He has the duty to use a portion of his talents 

 to remedy those defects. Otherwise he is a mouse, not a man. 



