INTRODUCTION 3 



beneficent use as to become a home necessity in 

 every section, state and community, developing all 

 the time until their annual worth in eggs and meat 

 was to become nearly twice the annual gold out- 

 put of the entire world for a single year. 



American farms, together with all improvements 

 contained thereon, with crops, live stock and all 

 other things included, possess a total value of more 

 than $36,000,000,000. During the last year the 

 farmers of the United States produced farm prod- 

 ucts having a value of more than $8,000,000,000; 

 they received more than $1,000,000,000 for the farm 

 products sent out of the country. Since the farm 

 products imported for the use of the entire nation 

 amounted to but $600,000,000, there remained in 

 favor of this country a total of more than $400,000,- 

 000 as a result of the exchange. 



The legend of Antaeus, whom Hercules could not 

 overthrow so long as his opponent had his feet upon 

 the ground, is applicable to the farming population 

 of the United States. This vast body of men has its 

 foundation upon the land ; among them are found the 

 loftiest patriotism, the sturdiest character and the 

 highest integrity — all of which conduce to greater 

 growth, to larger development and to more won- 

 derful returns than can possibly be indicated by 

 any production of the past. 



