The economy...the depression was so hard on everyone from the farmers to the banks...and with the drought caused lack of food because evrything dried up from fruit trees to the vegtables and grains in the field which left no extra just anough to barely feed your own family. Hardly anough to feed the animals on the farm which gave them poor cattle etc. That is why the Government had to ration food (the amount folks were allowed to buy) Which hurt the countrys economy.