Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III THE RURAL PROBLEM If, in a group of one hundred men and women, composed of leaders in rural affairs — officers in farmers' organizations, rural school supervisors, directors of agricultural- experiment stations, deans of agricultural colleges, government agricultural officials — one were to ask each person the question, " What is the rural problem? " it is probable that there would be no uniformity of reply. Each answer would in a large measure be influenced by the particular work the individual had in hand, or special difficulties which he had encountered. A few years ago an official of high standing in the government said that the rural problem in America was " better farming." James J. Hill, a man of masterful mind, concluded apparently that to increase the production per acre was the main need of our farming. There is, however, no one part of the rural question that overtops all others. Rural improvement consists of many elements, all closely bound together, each affecting and influenced by the others. We must try to see the rural problem as a whole. Some years ago in Ireland, Sir Horace Plunkett announced a slogan that helps us to see that the problem of the farmer is bigger than any one difficulty or need of improvement: " Better farming, better business, better living." It might be a little clearer though perhaps no stronger ifit read, Better farm practice, better farm business, better farm life. Do we not find at least these three great classes of problems in every farming community in the land? The farmer must produce in the most skillful way, with the least possible expenditure for materials and labor, and with the aim of securing as large a yield of high grade products as possible. When he sells his products to buy his requirements, he confronts an en...