258 DRY-FARMING 



clothing, and shelter has become more clearly under- 

 stood, more attention has been given to the valuation 

 of commercial products on the basis of quality as well 

 as of quantity. Sugar beets, for instance, are bought 

 by the sugar fact(_)ries under a guarantee of a mini- 

 mum sugar content; and many factories of Europe 

 vary the price i)aid according to the sugar contained 

 by the beets. The millers, especially in certain parts 

 of the countrj^ where wheat has deteriorated, dis- 

 tinguish carefully between the flour-producing quali- 

 ties of wheats from various sections and fix the price 

 accordingly. Even in the household, information 

 concerning the real nutritive value of various foods is 

 being sijught eagerly, and foods known to possess the 

 highest value in the maintenance of life are displacing, 

 even at a higher c(.ist, the inferior ]5roducts. The 

 Cjuality valuation is, in fact, being extended as 

 rapidly as the growth of knowledge will permit to the 

 chief food materials of commerce. As this practice 

 becomes fixed the dry-farmer will be able to command 

 the liest market prices for his products, for it is un- 

 doubtedly true that from the point of view of qualit}^, 

 drj'-farm food products may be placed safeh' in com- 

 petition with any farm products on the markets of the 

 world. 



Proportion of plant parts 



It need hardly be said, after the discussions in the 

 preceding chapters, that the nature of plant growth 



