96 HOW TO GET A FARM, 



custom of editors, and more or less of other writers, when 

 treating these questions in a general way to strongly oppose 

 as is done in the paragraph above mentioned any run 

 ning in debt for land. The idea appears to be and in the 

 abstract it is well enough that a debt on a farm is a clog, 

 a hindrance, a something that stands in the way of or pre 

 vents the practice of the most successful course of farming 

 an idea that seems to view the farm, and the capital ne 

 cessary to carry it on, as an end already attained, and only 

 as a means to make a living, and accumulate more capital. 

 Yet, with the great majority of American farmers, farming 

 has been the principal or only means to get the farm, as 

 well as the stock and capital to carry it on. Hence, 

 on commencing, they are not called to decide on how 

 large a farm, or how much capital they have to farm to the 

 best advantage ; or whether they can do as well when in 

 debt for their farms as they could if out of debt, with plenty 

 of money to use ; but, on the contrary, the great practical 

 question is how to get the farm. Comparatively few have 

 the farm, or the money to buy it furnished, to begin with ; 

 and, though there are some that, having sold a farm, have 

 money to buy another with, though, as a general thing, 

 such men have sold with a view of improving their circum 

 stances, aiming or intending to buy a larger or better farm, 

 which will cost more than the one sold, and in most instan 

 ces put them in debt ; still, as a general thing, it was the 

 same with them as with others at the first commencement. 

 &quot; Hence, I repeat, the question is how to get the farm. 

 And involved in this question are many others, such as, is 

 it best to try to get a farm by buying and running in debt 

 for the whole of it ? or is it best to wait until money enough 

 is made in some other way to pay all down ? or is it best to 

 pay part down, and run in debt for the rest ? Or, to put 

 the question in a different and more practical shape, if a 



