No. 4.] LESSONS FEOM THE CENSUS. 71 



lives on farms, but this, I think, needs to be emphasized. 

 The last quarter-ceutuiy has brought into our possession not 

 only a new series of facts, but what may be called a new 

 method. It is generally called the scientific method. This 

 is nothing other than to get possession of the facts, and to 

 apply these in accordance with common sense. All the arts 

 and most of the industries have been practically recast by 

 reason of this scientific development. INIanufactures, min- 

 ing, transportation, all industrial arts, avail themselves freely 

 of the results of modern science. The farmer must do the 

 same thing, if he is to keep pace with the developments in 

 manufactures, in mining and in other directions. A w^hole 

 series of facts relating to the soil, to the climate, to the life 

 of plants, of insects, to the rotation of crops, are available 

 for his use. The applications of chemistry and botany and 

 geology and zoology bear directly upon his work. Of all 

 these things he must avail himself. The twentieth-century 

 farmer must use his head as well as his hands, if he is to keep 

 step with progress. Just how this is to be done is perhaps 

 your problem rather than mine ; but the significance of the 

 statements which I have just made will, I am sure, be appar- 

 ent a few minutes later, in considering the fact that agri- 

 culture has failed to advance as rapidly during the past few 

 decades as manufactures, mining or population. 



The statistics for agriculture, as collected by the census, 

 are not as yet in final form, but, taken in connection with 

 the publications of the Agricultural Department, a fair esti- 

 mate may be given. One of the interesting developments 

 of the last thirty years has been the change in the relative 

 size of farms, — a fact which is made more evident by the 

 diagram which I present than it can be by any table of 

 statistics. On the whole, and particularly in the south and 

 west, the average size of farms has diminished greatly since 

 the civil war. 



Grain and cotton are the chief products in agriculture. 

 Since 1890 the area employed in the cultivation of these 

 staples has increased 12^ per cent. The value of all farm 

 products, however, including not only those mentioned, but 

 potatoes, hay, tobacco and sugar, will amount, during the 

 current year, to approximately 4,500 millions of dollars, 



