The Farmer's Responsibility 59 



raises the crops, whether of forests or cotton 

 or wheat. The solution of the problem is to 

 reach this man. This man is coming to a new 

 sense of his responsibilities. We often say that 

 the farmer feeds all the people. He must do 

 more than this: he must leave his part of the 

 earth's surface in more productive condition 

 than when he received it. This he will accom- 

 plish by a better understanding of the powers 

 of the soil and the means of conserving them, 

 for every well-managed soil should grow richer 

 rather than poorer; and, speaking broadly, 

 the farm should have within itself the power 

 of perpetuating itself. The enrichment of land 

 by the mere purchase of mined fertilizers — 

 which is transportation, or the exploitation of 

 one place for the benefit of another, — will not 

 accomplish this. Every young man going on 

 the old farm should feel that he has practically 

 a new farm to begin on; and every good farm 

 should pay for itself, buildings and all, in every 

 generation of men. A farm youth, as well as any 

 other youth, should be able to start anew, if he 

 wants to, even though he does not go west. 



