84 The State and the Farmer 



the whole national domain and to standardize 

 our knowledge of them, may well be under- 

 taken directly by the national government; 

 but the commonwealth itself should give 

 itself the advantage of making inquiries into 

 its own agricultural conditions. The survey 

 work of the institutions will be greatly per- 

 fected in the next few years, and we may ex- 

 pect to see great public funds devoted to it. 

 The survey parties will comprise strong, all- 

 round men. No small part of the value of 

 such surveys will be the discovery of great 

 numbers of earnest, competent men and women 

 on the farms who may be made local leaders, 

 and the recognition that it will give to good 

 agricultural practice everywhere. Every thor- 

 ough survey should be the forerunner of new 

 ideals for the communities, and of new points 

 of crystallization of local eflFort. It should 

 make new paths. 



The model farm idea. 



Many plans have been devised to develop 

 this practical local experience. A notable sug- 



