CHAPTER III. THE NEW RURAL CIVILIZATION 63 Factors that Are Making a New World in the Country. CHAPTER IV. TRIUMPHS OF SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE 91 The Oldest of the Arts Becomes a New Profession. CHAPTER V. RURAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTION 117 Country Life Deficiencies and the New Cooperation. CHAPTER VI. EDUCATION FOR COUNTRY LIFE 151 How Efficient Rural Citizenship Is Developed. CHAPTER VII. RURAL CHRISTIAN FORCES 173 The Community-Serving Church and Its Allies. CHAPTER VIII. COUNTRY LIFE LEADERSHIP 225 A Challenge to College Men and Women. APPENDIX 269 INDEX 277 ILLUSTRATIONS The Country Boy _Frontispiece_ Rural Schools in Daviess County, Ind. _Facing page_ 12 An Abandoned Church " " 18 Rural Redirection " " 48 School Garden Work at Guelph, Canada " " 82 Plan of Macdonald Consolidated School Grounds " " 86 A Modern Fruit and Truck Farm " " 98 Pennsylvania Farm Land " " 108 Cooperation on the Playground " " 134 Types of Consolidated Schools " " 158 Vocational Training in Rural Schools " " 162 An Over-Churched Community " " 184 Presbyterian Church, Winchester, Ill. " " 236 INTRODUCTION COUNTRY LIFE OPPORTUNITY The glare of the city dazzles the eyes of many a man in college. For a generation college debates, in class, club and fraternity, have popularized all phases of the city problem, the very difficulties of which have challenged many a country-bred boy to throw in his life where the maelstrom was the swiftest. In recent years however the country problem has been claiming its share of attention. It has grown to the dignity of a national issue. The great Rural Life Movement, starting from the Agricultural Colleges, has enlisted the intelligent cooperation of far-visioned men in many professions. Thinking people see clearly that in spite of the growth of cities, the nation is still rural. Agriculture is still the main business of our people. The nation's prosperity still depends upon "bumper crops." The nation's character still depends upon country conscience. Not only is it true that most of our leaders in politics, in the pulpit, in all professions and in the great industries were born and bred in the country; the city is still looking to the country to develop in large degree the leadership of the future.