104 THE STATE AS FARMER 



— and all our valleys taking up the matter 

 in every shape and form. A complete valley 

 society would undertake the supply of require- 

 ments and sale of produce, dairying of every 

 kind, small holdings and allotments, credit 

 and insurance, eggs and poultry, bacon and 

 meat. It might have been supposed by 

 everyone except the very cleverest that the 

 requirements of land and the needs of com- 

 merce are very much the same whether that 

 land lies in Yorkshire or Lancashire, in the 

 West country or in Wales. When the State 

 makes it its business to examine the pro- 

 spects of producing a much larger volume 

 of food from its acres, it will be forced to 

 consider in what particular forms or social 

 conditions it can best bring about the settle- 

 ment in comfort of hardy vigorous workers 

 and their families in every district. But it 

 will never be required to ask the votes of 

 these citizens upon such questions as pig 

 clubs, credit societies, insurance, cheese- 

 making, and the like. It will institute, as 

 a matter of course, every agency that will 

 bring fertility to the land and prosperity to 

 the districts, and the petty organisations of 



