174 The State and the Farmer 



themselves and working them out. Every 

 community has its problems. Some one can 

 aid to solve these problems. The size of the 

 problem does not matter, if only some one 

 takes hold of it and shakes it out. I like 

 to say to my students that they should attack 

 the first problem that presents itself when they 

 alight from the train on their return from col- 

 lege. It may be a problem of roads; of a poor 

 school; of tuberculosis in the herds; of ugly 

 signs along the highways, where no man has a 

 moral right to advertise private business; of a 

 disease of apple trees ; of poor seed ; of the 

 drainage of a field; of an improved method of 

 growing a crop ; of the care of the forests. 

 Any young man can concentrate the sentiment 

 of the community on a problem of the com- 

 munity. One problem solved or alleviated, and 

 another awaits. The next school district needs 

 help, the next town, the next county, the next 

 state. Every able countryman has much more 

 power than he uses. 



Throughout this writing, I intend the word 

 man to include also the farm woman : the Ian- 



