average for Illinois, the raw phosphate paid about eight hundred per
cent. net on the investment."

"Eight hundred per cent! You must mean eight per cent. net.

"No, Sir, I mean eight hundred per cent. net, but you had better
take the data and make your own computations. But does it not seem
strange that, with such positive knowledge as this available, many
of the Illinois landowners who have managed to sell off enough of
their original stock of fertility in grain or stock at good prices
to enable them to more than pay for their lands, should continue to
invest their surplus in more land with hope that it will pay them
eight per cent. interest, when they could secure many times that
much interest from investing in the permanent improvement of the
land they already own?"

"Perhaps it is not so strange," replied Mr. West. "I fear that some
of their ancestors did the same thing in Virginia and other Eastern
States until the land became poor, and then of course they were
'land poor.' But, say, that 'stone soup' wouldn't be so bad for
those Ohio landowners, would it? I should think they would avail
themselves of the positive information from their experiment
station. Speaking of soup, I wonder if it isn't time for lunch! But
tell me; are the Illinois farmers doing anything with raw
phosphate?"

"Yes, they are doing something, but by no means as much as they
ought. About two months ago a group of the leading farmers from our
section of the State went up to Urbana to look over the experiment
fields, some of which have been carried on since 1870. The land is