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4/8/1950 - Spring Plowing and the Snowstorm by John R. McCarthy

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS JRcC Le Joli Coin Spring Plowing Snowstorm Lans Vercors Isre France April Mr Walter Rogers Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York N Y Dear Mr Rogers About neighbors bought He worth francs thought agreed price rather His about American lawnmower wheels steel shares rotary controls determining depth furrow keeping heels straight The after purchase neighbor hitched pairs connecting yokes fastened their horns persuaded lumber about quainter fields The field contains acres The farmer accompanied hired three humans carried switches which their stalls months habit Arrived field station group ready husband position critical between hoofs first horns second hired walked behind guided They methodically across field forward digging furrows perhaps inches There interruptions witted beasts lurched along rolling ground often would right proper course The farmer hired would swear together usually thing unimagi native Name would patronizing manner would shoved position would recommence Although tortuous labor especially disagreeable The participants talked constantly other there momen relaxation furrow wheeled around there feeling teamwork ploing seemed share All Lans village proper outlying hamlets square people seemed glued their kitchen chairs winter readying fields planting They often quite walking reach their scattered properties single fixed plowshsu always field necessary spiral series concentric circles With interchangeable shares curved right other straighZ furrow direction reverse direction furrow Eost hired hands Lans ozhans released Assistance P_ubliqg They usually treated family expected owned rented there fifteen tenant farmez fairly small parcels which necessarily grouped around family homestead Everywhere moist brown earth being turned under brilliant tools mmall table gardens which adjoin every mhouse fields Plowing sometimes single horse often horse there tractors matter artificially powered machinery plateau Holdings small often slope effective machines which adaptable animals chaning circumstances Thus large amount human labor quired family neighbor field Work spread several allow enough household duties which considerably extensive would Jackso Heights Yet though Lans farmer easier grandfather wooden When I asked farmers respects their lives comfortable those their ancestors invariably mentioned tricity better roads first lised agricultural plements harro reaper threshing machine which general fifty years These machines increased their leisure allowing possible raising animals their There little change however methods treating universal fertilizer still The fertile generations approached respect toler A given field usually planted lucern species produce forage crops eight years It plsmted clover wheat potatoes three Thus earth called three years twelve fourteen cycle There feeling apparent further demands should prevalent attitude nature forced farmers Say bushels wheat harvest represent lar6er yield their grandfathers ejoyed Even population pressure appreciably affect farming methods farmer several except expected leave plateau elsewhere especially cities Lntiers prized healthy willin workers Nevertheless there endless variations skill individual techniques I farmer fertilizer another plows another grows wheat stalks close ether The level agricultural knowledge varies other seems fairly farmer explained technical terms contains nitrogen potassium Crop failures though short seven months because winter comes early stays As result winter buildings quite large great stored during months animals cannot turned pasture JRMcC crops farmer acreage allots determined needs clientele The latter order descending impootsce The animsls chickens geese ducks horses which supply income provide table fields Himself family The outsideworld If outside world dependent balanced Lans farmer there would people The surplus wheat enough aside chicke cowsdthe farmer wheat gound local family bread flour thence The farmer primary concern animals plaAts largest fields grains wheat bsley forage potatoes His smsller plots seeds vegetables forage beets carrots The garden house raises vegetables family sometimes trees Otherwise fruit grown plateau winds which mountains would trees vines kmocking fruit befoe reached maturity It erate extent which Lans farmer wishes resources Almost anything ossibl provide efforts preferred goods services purchased outside world His manure instance piled during esrly spring finally spread fields before plowing there better examples nitrogen cycle contentedly munching wheat which partly responsible Seeds saved crops special sprays treat ments because markedly insects bacteria This independence reliance oneself natue sciously sought thing worth noting moved iding principles S capitalism latter insistence division labor economic interdependence citizens increasing specialization agricultural lands A rising number U farmers their roceries ocery store agricultural factory becoming dependent credit economy insurance salesmsn movie The Lsas farmer instead autahy thirty acres succeeds largely finding For seeking autarchy reasons French franc Twice within fifty years invaded occupied learned occasions survive occupation lives house produces supply relies other sectors national economy possible He Fows people living salaries JIcC miserable under occpt We2 unhealthy conditions forced French children borne their fruits tuberculosis frequent pallor noticeable among agers He remembers thousands French families classes regarded central expez ences proper obtainable years He preciates easier people valuables apartment advantages mountain event armed resistance becomes necessary little desire money But peacetime Ls farmer prefers stability bushel potatoes additional quicksilver character istics hsudful He remember O00 fsncs could almost smount worth today He needs supply Of wants grate When prices beeves porkers dependent essential needs income The marEet mysterious domain which economists tslksoglibly isforhimadarkdhostilething andhenittreats kindly regards victory temporary Above factor production process His fatherdhis father father before created proud tradition That tradition softened greatdesl since fsers Dauphiny blasted court Frsce rogues traitors their King spirit brouht forth indlc1 wanting anyone spitting seems apropos lives The Lantier wants beholden except friends wants success fsiluz handsdbrain cooperation nature Nature double cross trustworthy reasons majority My neighbor faith nature found sting finished plowing field About I covered letter Economist eneral statement Appendix above eflctions temperature begsn That night rained little My eighbor cleaned harrow about spent thedpsinting tchen Toard evening looked window shook glumly Was snowing It snoed night flakes which muddied roads intermittently during As bonus electric storm thunder rolled mountains power lines everybody lights When finally The exceptions among people course A tailor I Grenoble found himself stucE pairs velvet rousers broke He quite By going village nother bartering velvet trousers farmers never easily convinced fashionable edibles JRicC again fields covez ridges thrown stiff soaed neighbor especially distressed thou6h brother notoriously industrious msaged fields already plante wheat This I You fields before harrow replied neighbor I kitchen paint But schedule Schedule snorted contempt which people often Say would skiing tomorrow Received JRMcC Appendix A Letter Appearing The Economist April Sir As member society founded Le Play I interested article published The EConomist under title France Great Britain Toward I quote Freach translation No La Documentation Frangaise Frenchman serious considebation those changes French agriculture would allow Great Britain Wheat francs instead dollars This large problem which discussed circles touch Of course bureaucrats their offices build plans scientific proofs Fresch cultural output dproviding scientific manage through which French agriculture could western Europe The bureaucratl decreed pepulatien being square k1omee while hbouring countries boast should import starving Ialians milliendgive immediate vaned under manned farms called terres abandonnees waste All these meaning peeple thing human nature general psychology French peasant particular Unless country God forbid sovietised power earth heaven oblige farmer import labour roduce expect profit Since financial mismanagement continually value currency disorganised market instability peasantry course reluc outlay money experiment specialised production The system sustalning small gener armlng consumption remains customary except plain sections north Of Loire Throughout until Very recently communications disrupted German state requisions system peasant population survive The system mediaeval iddle A_ because The peasant feudal baron entrenched forti castle He produces consumption little because knows whatever might produce above person needs bring possible absolute certain bother taxes In opinio years honest intelligent finsucial management restor c0fidence rural which would allow French farmers creep cautiously aeval production Until plarners sOmuch words Yours faithfully 3oeete Econome Ph Pe Vice President cience Sociales Avenue Paris XV Fre economist first sociolo stress field investigations His economic theories based primary importance family religion property J R