58 THE STATE AS FARMER 



give results which prove this, although they 

 show that such crops are meagre and pre- 

 carious. By care and thoughtful farming, 

 and the use of the natural manures, some 

 advance can be made from the pendulum 

 swing of primitive prodigality and want into 

 a reasonable average of production ; but, 

 even here, if the maximum yield be vital to 

 the State, some sort of oversight or rude set 

 of principles must be applied to the land. 

 When it comes, as now, to the urgent need 

 of greatly increased production, the call 

 for science is imperative in order that the 

 due application of fertilisers may be made 

 economically and the weight of crops be 

 multiplied. To act to the best purpose in 

 this matter, it is necessary to treat the land 

 first as if no outside help were obtainable. 

 All the resources of cleaning and tilling the 

 land should be exhausted, soil water should be 

 conserved, weeds removed, and nitrogenous 

 methods used before we, in theory, begin 

 to apply the principle of manure. In its 

 simplest form this is, of course, the putting 

 of stock upon the land. And here again — 

 in theory, as I have said, in order that we 



