Cooperative Work with Columbia University 389 



as the children of Israel gathered the manna, without its fresh- 

 ness, summing it all up by the pathetic exclamation — " What do 

 I get for my money compared with what you do for yours !" 



Verily, there is a hunger not satisfied with bread. As in olden 

 times, men may have their heart's desire, but with it a leanness 

 of soul. As these things begin to be realized there comes a voice 

 telling of the "fat of the land," of " cattle on a thousand hills," 

 and of "trees bearing all manner of fruit"; of green fields and 

 ripening harvests, and of a life of independence. There are also 

 marvelous wonder tales — alas, some of them in our agricultural 

 papers — such as of a man and his son in poor health with a little 

 capital, who invested in a few hens, these soon growing into 

 thousands, making a profit of $4.96 per hen; of melons at 25 

 cents per pound; and of certified milk at from 16 to 20 cents per 

 quart — all tales of such munificence that " imagination's utmost 

 stretch in wonder dies away." All of this apparently grows 

 without effort .while the farmer sleeps ; all he has to do is to 

 read a few books, listen to a few lectures, buy some land, secure 

 an hireling, and he will be able to " sit and sing himself away to 

 everlasting bliss." 



The above is not overpainted. It is not serious for the indi- 

 vidual if he has sufficient means to pay for his imagination's lead- 

 ings and his expected bliss ; but, oh, the pathos of it when a man, 

 utterly ignorant of even the elementary principles of agriculture, 

 leaves a good position and ventures his little all on a farm, the 

 victim too often of some land shark, and again the victim of the 

 men whom he employs. How utterly absurd to expect respect or 

 service from an employee, when the employer is the servant be- 

 cause of his lack of knowledge concerning the business of which 

 he assumes to be the head ! Would anj^one but a fool undertake 

 such in any other calling? Neither is this a fancy picture. I 

 could more than one tale unfold, which, if it it did not harrow up 

 your blood, would incite your laughter and your pity. 



Think of the man wanting to buy sixty bushels of clover seed 

 to sow on sixty acres at ten dollars per bushel ! Fortunately, he 

 struck an honest dealer who sold him only ten. Had he consulted 

 his neighbors, who knew the conditions, he would have sowed 

 none and saved his hundred dollars. Enough of this! I have 



