19.--What changes have already come in rural institutions? 20.--How is this new rural civilization revealing the will of God, and what relation has it to the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven? CHAPTER IV TRIUMPHS OF SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE CHAPTER IV TRIUMPHS OF SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE I. _Its Struggle with Rural Conservatism_ Modern efficiency in city and country. The natural conservatism of farmers. What is progressive agriculture? Its development by government patronage. II. _Some Special Aspects of Scientific Agriculture_ Intensive farming and conservation of fertility. Achievements of scientific breeding. Marvels of plant production. Irrigation and the problem of the desert. Dry farming possibilities. III. _Some Results of Scientific Farming_ Agriculture now a profession. Conservation: a new appeal to patriotism. Permanency of rural Christendom now possible. CHAPTER IV TRIUMPHS OF SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE I. Its Struggle with Rural Conservatism. _Modern Efficiency not Confined to Cities_ _Efficiency_ is everywhere demanded by the spirit of our times. We are living in an age that does things. Whatever the difficulties, it somehow gets things done. It brings to pass even the seemingly impossible. Are there mountains in the way? It goes over, under, or through.--There are no mountains! Is there an isthmus, preventing the union of great seas and blocking commerce? It erases the isthmus from the world's map.--There is no isthmus! The masterful time-spirit has little patience with puttering inefficiency. It expects every man to pull his weight, to earn his keep, to do his own task, and not to whimper. Our cities are hives of efficiency, cruel efficiency often. With new pace-makers every year, the wheels of industry speed ever faster, raising the percentage of effectiveness, per dollar of capital and per capita employed. Hundreds at the wheels, with scant nerves, fail to keep the pace; and the race goes by them. But the pace keeps up. Other workmen grow more deft and skillful. The product is both cheapened and perfected. The plant becomes more profitable, under fine executive efficiency. The junk-heap grows apace: Out goes every obsolete half-success. In comes every new machine which reduces friction, doubles results, halves the cost of maintenance, and swells dividends. Surely efficiency is the modern shibboleth. Here is the new Tungsten electric lamp, which uses half the current, at low voltage, but doubles the light; the very dazzling symbol of efficiency. How it antiquates the best Edison lamp of yesterday! Yet the Tungsten becomes old-fashioned in a year. It is too fragile and is speedily displaced by the improved Mazda.