THE COUNTRY-LIFE MOVEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES The Rural Outlook Set _THE OUTLOOK TO NATURE_ (_Revised_) _THE NATURE-STUDY IDEA_ _THE STATE AND THE FARMER_ _THE COUNTRY-LIFE MOVEMENT_ The Country-Life Movement in the United States BY L. H. BAILEY New York THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1911 _All rights reserved_ COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. Set up and electrotyped. Published March, 1911. Norwood Press J. S. Cushing Co.--Berwick & Smith Co. Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. TO Charles W. Garfield --SEER OF VISIONS, PROPHET OF THE BETTER COUNTRY LIFE-- I dedicate this budget of opinions CONTENTS THE COUNTRY-LIFE MOVEMENT PAGES 1-3 It is not a back-to-the-land movement, 1--This book, 2. THE NATIONAL MOVEMENT PAGES 4-13 A transition period, 6--The Commission on Country Life, 7--The three fundamental recommendations of the Commission, 9--A national conference of country life, 12--A voluntary movement, 12--The international phase, 13. SOME INTERRELATIONS OF CITY AND COUNTRY PAGES 14-30 Some contrasts of town folk and country folk, 14--Comparisons of town and country affairs, 16--The two minds, 17--Will the American farmer hold his own? 19--The first two remedies, 21--Movement from city to country as remedy, 23--Sending the surplus population to the country, 25--Back-to-the-village, 26--Can a city man make a living on a farm? 27--What the city may do, 30. THE DECLINE IN RURAL POPULATION.--ABANDONED FARMS PAGES 31-43 Significance of the decline, 32--The abandoned farms, 37--The new farming, 41. RECLAMATION IN RELATION TO COUNTRY LIFE; AND THE RESERVE LANDS PAGES 44-54 The interests of society in the work, 45--A broad reclamation movement, 50--Supplemental irrigation, 51--We need reserves, 53. WHAT IS TO BE THE OUTCOME OF OUR INDUSTRIAL CIVILIZATION? PAGES 55-60 (1) The making of a new society, 56--(2) The fighting edge, 57. THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION IN AMERICAN COUNTRY LIFE PAGES 61-84 Agriculture in the public schools, 62--The American contribution, 65--The dangers in the situation, 66--The present educational institutions, 68--The need of plans to coördinate this educational work, 71--Outline of a state plan, 72--A state extension program, 75--Special local schools for agriculture, 76--The lessons of experience, 79. WOMAN'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE COUNTRY-LIFE MOVEMENT PAGES 85-96 The affairs of the household, 88--The affairs of the community, 90--The woman's outlook, 92--The means of education, 93. HOW SHALL WE SECURE COMMUNITY LIFE IN THE OPEN COUNTRY? PAGES 97-133