64 THE AGRICULTURAL BLOC 



for the surplus in foreign markets the American 

 farm producer is encouraged to use all energy 

 to increase production without being obliged to 

 try to adjust the scale of production solely to 

 American demand. Should farmers be forced 

 to the latter course, the situation becomes 

 hazardous for the consumer. If a surplus is 

 to operate to break the price when a big crop 

 is harvested, then the farmer will strive to pro- 

 duce just enough and no more. "While the 

 acreage put out to crops can be controlled, the 

 yield to be harvested from that acreage may 

 vary from 10 to 20 per cent, due to ordinary 

 differences in seasons and weather. Hence, if 

 the acreage is just enough to produce a nation's 

 need with a given yield, and an unfavorable 

 season cuts down the yield, there is a scarcity. 

 The only safeguard for the public is in a sur- 

 plus-producing agriculture and this is only en- 

 couraged when the farmers feel that the world's 

 markets are open to them. 



Much of the comment in the city press con- 

 cerning the profits of farmers was based upon 

 the reports of increases in land prices. The 

 fallacy was widespread that such prices were 

 beneficial to farmers in general, instead of an 

 indication of a drift towards tenant farming, 



