191 1.] Changes in Farming Methods in the U.S. 849 



to be paid off by annual or occasional instalments or otherwise, 

 with interest usually at two per cent, per annum. The loan- 

 is to be secured by mortgage on the land, supplemented, if 

 necessary, by personal sureties; exceptionally, the mortgage 

 may be dispensed with, and personal sureties or security such 

 as a life insurance policy may be accepted. The loans are 

 made through the local and district banks, the money being 

 furnished by the State free of interest. 



A question which is attracting a good deal of attention in 

 the United States at the present time is the need for a change 

 in some of the prevalent systems of 

 Changes in Farming farming. It is recognised that the at 

 Methods in the one time virgin soil is beginning to 

 United States. show signs of exhaustion, and that it 

 is becoming increasingly necessary to 

 adopt the rotation system which prevails in the older countries 

 of the world. 



During the last sixty years an enormous area of land has 

 been brought into cultivation, and while this land was new 

 and fertile the production of crops was accomplished at little 

 expense, and without any attempt to maintain the fertility 

 by manuring or by a change of crops. When land in the 

 older States became less productive there was a tendency to 

 move out to newer regions where virgin soils could still be 

 obtained. The area of undeveloped land is now, however, 

 relatively limited, and it is much less easy than was formerly 

 the case to find new Land that can profitably be cultivated 

 on the single crop system. This has led to an increase in 

 the price of land, and with it to an increase in tenant farming. 

 The exhaustive system of farming by the continual growth 

 of crops without return, which was perhaps natural in the 

 case of virgin soil, seems to have been continued on these 

 tenant farms without any of those safeguards against exhaus- 

 tion which have been found necessary elsewhere. It is stated * 

 that "leases are usually made for short terms. The renter 

 has no interest in maintaining the fertility, for he has no 

 assurance that he will receive the benefit of it. He is interested 

 only in immediate results. He therefore proceeds to rob the 



* ' ' Soil Conservation," Farmers' Bulletin, No. 406, U.S. Dept. of Agrie. 



