464 FARM FINANCE 



333. The Outlook. Now that the Federal Land Bank 

 System has been organized for the farmers ; now that the 

 Smith-Lever law (page 56) provides generous sums to the 

 several states for agricultural extension work ; and now 

 that there are so many other evidences of cooperation 

 among farmers themselves and between the government 

 and the farmers we may confidently expect a general im- 

 provement in rural conditions, better homes, better 

 schools, better roads. 



This new cooperative point of view, while not weaken- 

 ing the farmer's rugged individuality, places strong 

 emphasis on group action, community building, efficient 

 citizenship. Agricultural preparedness is to-day, and 

 probably will remain for years to come, a pressing problem. 

 Bankers, teachers, scientists, statesmen, all leaders alike, 

 must work together to mobilize our agricultural re- 

 sources and must seek to make more effective the lives of 

 our numerous farm folk, who live apart often out of 

 touch with the impulses which direct our national think- 

 ing. The call of America is the call to serve its institu- 

 tions, and no institution is more typical of American life 

 and more of a bulwark to it than our plain farm home, 

 where there is prosperity and vision. 



PRACTICAL QUESTIONS 



1. Is unused knowledge of farming valuable? 2. What is the 

 purpose of the " Home Exercises " ? 3. How have American resources 

 helped the American farmer? 4. In what sense is farming now 

 coming to be a business? 5. What is farm capital ? 6. How does 

 wealth differ from capital ? 7. In what sense does credit differ from 

 capital? 8. Discuss the relation between our growing tenancy and our 

 lack of farm capital. 9. Why in the early days was there little need 

 of capital? 10. In what sense has our industrial development out- 

 run our agricultural development? 11. What has been the main 

 cause of our decrease in exports and our increase in imports ? 12. How 

 has the country store been an injury to the southern farmer? 



