ANNUAL REPORT—INDUSTRIAL NEEDS. 
17 
Thus it is that France, with an area less than that of the 
largest of our States, produces more annually than is produced 
by our entire country. Nor is French agriculture fully up to the 
mark of perfection, or anywhere near it. Indeed, until within 
a few years, she was reckoned among the more backward of 
the countries of Middle and Western Europe. Even yet, but 
few of us Americans have any just idea of how we suffer 
by a comparison with her, and with Belgium, Holland, Germa¬ 
ny and Switzerland in all these important matters. 
The reason of the difference has already been hinted at, and 
may be fully comprehended if we give any heed to the careful 
and economical system practiced by them, and to the slovenly, 
headlong, utterly reckless practice of the majority of Ameri¬ 
can farmers. 
In view of the cheapness of wild lands and of the irrepressi¬ 
ble desire of every American that he should at least seem to 
be rich, and that his children should be really so, it is hardly 
strange that they who have chosen agriculture as their profes¬ 
sion should seek to possess themselves of large areas, regard¬ 
less of their ability to give them proper cultivation. But it is 
a little strange that more of them should not realize the econ¬ 
omy of attempting to cultivate only so much of their immense 
farms as they can cultivate well; the remainder being left to 
/ 
produce timber and to preserve its native fertility for the grow¬ 
ing needs of a rapidly increasing population. 
If one fully intends to adopt the theory and practice of the 
robber, he may possibly gain something by creaming a large 
farm and then selling it out and taking another, to be left in the 
same or a worse condition, in turn. But are our American 
farmers all land-skinners? Do not some of them intend to 
build for themselves and their posterity permanent and satis¬ 
factory homes ? 
Another need of our industry is a better recognition of the 
importance of 
A DIVERSIFIED AGRICULTURE. 
Our experience in wheat-growing should have taught us this 
2—Ag. Tr. 
