relation, however infrequent and slight, with the outside world.
Moreover, he had to pay for his comparative independence by many
privations. He had all the wants described in the preceding
chapter, but he had to provide for them in the simplest way
possible, and often they were hardly provided for at all.

THE GROWTH OF INTERDEPENDENCE

As soon as a number of people come to live together, even in a
pioneer community, it is likely that some members will have a
knack for doing certain things of use to the community better than
others can do them. Thus one man may be especially skillful in
making axe handles. In time, the entire community comes to depend
upon him for its axe handles. In addition, he probably makes other
tools and does repair work of all kinds. This requires so much of
his time that he does little or no farming, and depends upon
others for his food supply. So in a course of time the community
has its blacksmiths, carpenters, shoe-makers, teachers,
storekeepers and doctors upon whom it depends for their special
kinds of service, while each of them depends upon others to supply
the wants that he has neither the time nor the skill to supply for
himself. Thus interdependence develops in the simplest
communities.

THE DEPENDENCE ON OTHERS OF THE MODERN FARMER

The farmer still does many things on the farm that in the city
would be done by special workers, such as repairing houses, barns,
and tools. But he has become vastly more dependent upon others
than formerly. This is due partly to improved farming methods,