FOREWORD 



The fatal trend toward the deadly city no preach- 

 ing has been able to stop, but toward saving some of 

 the more rational no one has done so much as Mr. 

 Powell with his fascinating, true, and persuasive 

 stories about all sides of country life. " Back to the 

 land " is no longer the slogan with which we must 

 do our work, but " Stay on the land where you are " ; 

 and to this we all say amen. It is his noble senti- 

 ment and fixed opinion, which he delightfully illus- 

 trates, that farming is the highest and best of call- 

 ings; full of interest, responsive to intelligence and 

 skill, building health, manhood, and independence. 

 It pleases me much to have the opportunity of put- 

 ting a foreword to this book; I wish it may have 

 a million readers, keep a million boys from straying 

 away from the farm to the factory, and that it may 

 be translated into a score of languages. 



