AND WHERE TO FIND ONE. 113 



give an opportunity for the exercise of the energies. We 

 have known of more than one instance where two men, 

 with similar opportunities and means, have succeeded very 

 differently at the same business one failing, and the other 

 accumulating wealth. Hence we cannot advise, in a general 

 way, the purchase of a farm, by running almost wholly in 

 debt for it. A few would easily work out ; but to most, 

 the debt would be likely to prove a long-continued and op 

 pressive load. It must depend upon the management, tact, 

 and economy in every sense of the word, possessed by the 

 purchaser in question. 



&quot; If we were to give one rule in business for beginners, 

 which we should place at the head of all others, it would 

 be FEEL YOUR WAY. Do not undertake any thing untried, 

 on a large scale, no matter how promising the results may 

 appear. The most uniformly successful men in business 

 have nearly always pursued this course ; and we could, on 

 the other hand, name many instances where large and bad 

 failures have resulted from a different practice. 



&quot; Our correspondent should not give up his practice of 

 law immediately. He must depend on that mainly for two 

 or three years at least, until he gets under way in farming. 

 If he could rent the land for two years, with the privilege 

 of purchasing, it would undoubtedly be best. But this, 

 probably, cannot be accomplished. He must therefore 

 take into consideration the probable cost, in addition to the 

 land, of animals to stock it (for even the smallest farm 

 should have some animals), the expense of a horse or of a 

 yoke of oxen, of the various necessary implements to work 

 it to the best advantage, and of proper buildings. A man 

 must be also hired to do most of the labor in the present 

 instance. All these will be found to consume more than 

 the proceeds of the land for the first year or two. If, after 

 all these calculations, he can be sure of meeting his inter- 



