The Soil 



S3 



them even if the soil were very productive. So much food 

 is needed every day that if the supply were cut off for only 

 a short time, there would be great suffering. 



Somewhere there must be farmers at work, raising food 

 supplies for the people of the great cities. The many beau- 

 tiful and wonderful things made by the workers in the cities 

 must be exchanged with the farmers for the real necessities 

 ofHfe. 



Somewhere there must be vast fertile fields which produce 

 much more than their owners require. We will journey 

 westward to the prairies of the Mis^ssippi Valley. Here 

 for hundreds of miles we can see hardly anything but fields 

 of waving wheat and corn. Here are hundreds of granaries 

 and flour mills. Upon the rivers and lakes there are many 

 boats, and upon the land railroads, all carrying flour and 

 other farm products to feed the people of New England. 

 Here are great stock ranches with thousands of cattle and 

 hogs, which, when fattened upon the grain, are also shipped 

 to New England to help feed the people there. 



A fieia 01 wneat on one oi tne Western praines. 



