September, 1910.] 



257 



Miscellaneous, 



and prevents the farmer and his indus- 

 try from being assigned to the position 

 they are entitled to occupy. The pro 

 ducer lacks the information he should 

 have to give greater independence and 

 security to his business, 



There should be, it would seem, some 

 local agencies which should know the 

 exact status of the agricultural industry 

 at a given time, which should study it 

 in its economic relations. This does not 

 lie in the field of the experiment stations, 

 and the agricultural colleges can hardly 

 burden themselves with the collection 

 and study of the statistics. They can, 

 however, recognise the importance of 

 this subject by establishing departments 

 of rural economics on a basis which will 

 give opportunity for investigation as 

 well as instruction, aud these depart- 

 ments can perform an important func- 

 tion by working out methods, in order 

 to develop means of investigation in 

 this field and furnish examples of its 

 utility. 



The development of methods is one of 

 the needs at the present juncture, the 

 field is so new aud experience so limited. 

 By taking up a restricted problem or 

 field and studying it in a thorough and 

 scientific manner, much might be done 

 to give impetus to investigation, aud at 

 the same time broaden the basis of the 

 science. Investigation needs to be stimu- 

 lated, the field blocked out, and special 

 agencies provided, which will deal regu- 

 larly and continuously with the eco- 

 nomic phases of this industry. This 

 opens up an important field for the state 

 departments and beards of agriculture, 

 in which they may extend and supple- 

 ment the work which is being done by 

 the National Department of Agriculture. 



The farmers need advice of a kind 

 which they cannot expect the experi- 

 ment stations to furnish, and which 

 relates directly to their business. Agri- 

 cultural conditions are changing, and 

 these changes need to be recognised by 

 the farmers in a given locality in shap- 

 ing their course. Changes in any indus- 

 try must be gradual and must be made 

 intelligently, but at present there are 

 no established permanent agencies to 

 follow the trend in agriculture, to study 

 the movement in a broad way, and to 

 advise the farmers, or even to give them 

 the facts. 



For example, the dairy situation 

 changes in a locality from an increased 

 demand for milk, either from milk con- 

 tractors or condenseries attempting to 

 draw a supply from a new region This 

 is complicated by new regulations, new 

 standards, high prices for feed, and a 

 33 



changed basis for selling. The farmer 

 is often perplexed to know whether he 

 should abandon his butter or cheese 

 making or his connection with the 

 creamery, and fit up for the new market 

 for his raw product. It is difficult for 

 him to get information as to the real 

 status of the industry or the experience 

 in other localities. Are the farmers 

 elsewhere prospering under such a 

 system, or is dairying generally declin- 

 ing in that section under the changed 

 economic conditions ? 



Prom a broad study of this matter 

 and a knowledge of the general condi- 

 tions, the state department or board of 

 agriculture should be able to give the 

 dairymen the facts which would enable 

 him to shape his course more intelli- 

 gently. There are some examples of 

 such studies, notably on the economics 

 of milk supply and distribution in New 

 York and London. They do not neces- 

 sarily effect a change in the practice at 

 once, but they lay bare the facts and 

 give a basis for action. This in itself is 

 an important first step. 



From this isolation and their separate- 

 ness farmers are deprived of information 

 of a kind which business men of the 

 town and cities possess. The commer- 

 cial reports give the business man the 

 information he needs as to the status of 

 the markets and the special demands, 

 but they do not go beyond his field of 

 interest. The producer on the farm is 

 not informed as to the tendencies and 

 the influences which are operative, and 

 cannot take advantage of them, but the 

 fact that his business is not elastic makes 

 advice all the more necessary. 



Studies of the cost of production are 

 beginning to be made and are already 

 showing some surprising facts. The 

 farmer lias had very little data of this 

 sort, even for the production of staples, 

 to guide him in his business. Inquiries 

 into the methods of farm management, 

 the returns from various systems, and 

 the development of systems which are 

 more rational and give a larger return, 

 are also yielding results of much value 

 and importance. These things while 

 still young in their development, empha- 

 sise the field which is open for a special 

 type of inquiry. 



Each year brings increasing interest 

 in the problems of agriculture and the 

 development of the agricultural indus- 

 try. Interest aud faith in land are 

 steadily increasing. A large number of 

 people in the towns and cities are turn- 

 ing their eyes countrywards, drawn by 

 the prospect of greater freedom and the 

 attractions of country life. This is 



