THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



433 



dustry, offers 160 acres of land to the man 

 who this season makes the best display of 

 beets showing the largest percentage of 

 sugar. 



DOES FARMING PAY? 



The article on "A Farmer's Balance- 

 Sheet for 1898." which appeared in the 

 Review of Revieics for last March, shows 

 the net profits on 8.000 acres of Iowa 

 grain-farming to bave been $50,855.22. 



Reuben and Lucien Bradley were born 

 and reared on a Michigan farm. This 

 farm had been cut from the woods by the 

 father, and endless toil had been expended 

 in bringing it to a state of fair pro- 

 ductiveness. But even when the boys 

 became of age it produced only a scant 

 living for the family. 



The problem of a livlihood and a 

 vocation forced itself upon Reuben and 

 Lucieu. They were strong, stead}-, and 

 industrious. They had graduated from 

 the village school. The father was not 

 able to set them up in business. They 

 knew it and did not complain. He had 

 done the best he could. Reuben was tired 

 of the country. He went to. the town 

 and apprenticed himself to a harness- 

 maker. Against the advice of his young 

 friends, Lucien bought sixty acres of land 

 and ran in debt for it. 



In a year Reuben was earning a dollar a 

 <lay. After the day's work he wore a 

 white shirt and collar and pointed shoes 

 because other people did, not because they 

 were comfortable. He had no debts. 

 Lucien had fair crops, but they yielded 

 little more than enough to pay interest on 

 the mortgage. He wore a ragged shirt and 

 patched breeches and cowhide boots. 

 Peoole said that Reuben was making a 

 gentleman of himself and learning a trade 

 in the bargain. 



In two years Reuben had completed his 

 apprenticeship. He was now earning ten 

 dollars a week. He boarded in a house 

 that had a fancy veranda and green blinds- 

 His clothing improved. Lucien was still 

 ragged; but he paid his interest and $300 



on his principal. People said that 

 Reuben was bound to come to the front 



Reuben became foreman of the shop at 

 $50 a month. He bough a house and lot 

 on the installment plan and paid for it 

 within five years. The country people 

 called upon him and ate dinner when they 

 went to town. Lucien paid off the mort- 

 gage and owned the farm. People said 

 that Reuben and Lucien were good 

 citizens. 



In ten years more Reuben was ttill 

 foreman of the shop. He received the 

 same wages. He lived in the same house. 

 He wore the same cut of shirt and same 

 kind of pointed shoes. He smoked 

 Havana cigars. Lucien built a new house 

 and barn. He had a good carriage and 

 driving-horse. He smoked a pipe. The 

 neighbors saw that every year he made 

 some improvement on the farm. The 

 barn was full of tools. He wore a white 

 shirt when he went to town, and he had a 

 pair of button shoes. People said that 

 Lucien was becoming a prominent man; 

 and his word was good at the bank. 



Reuben began to complain that harness- 

 making was too confining. His health 

 was breaking down. The proprietor of 

 the shop was selfish and would not die and 

 leave the besiness to him. Harness-mak- 

 ing was not what it used to be. Lucien 

 bought more land. He went fishing when 

 he wanted to. Reuben came out now and 

 then to spend a Sunday. The birds 

 seemed to sing more sweetly than ever 

 before, and the grass was greener. Lucien 

 indorsed Reuben's note. 



Lucien has pigs and cows and sheep and 

 chickens and turkeys and horses. He 

 raises potatoes and beans and corn and 

 wheat and garden stuff and fruits. He 

 buys his groceries, tobacco, and clothes. 

 Reuben buys everything. At the close of 

 the year Lucien puts $100 to $300 in the 

 bank or he takes a trip to Boston. 

 Reuben does well if, he comes out even. 

 Lucien does not fret. Reuben grumbles. 



The moral is that the $200 a-year- 

 income farm is a more important factor in 



