BACK TO THE LAND 283 



the land movement is securing the requisite capital 

 with which to get back. While it does not require 

 a large amount of capital, yet the amount neces- 

 sary in each individual case, is large to him who 

 has no means or can give no security to secure 

 the means necessary. There are many who are 

 now in position to secure the capital requisite who, 

 if they put off the day of getting back to the land, 

 may, in the meantime, spend the capital now at 

 their command. My advice to such is do not pro- 

 crastinate but go at once. 



Every person who has not a sure footing in the 

 city, in a business sense, or reaches that stage 

 where he sees his city footing slipping away, ought 

 to make every effort to get back to the land before 

 it is too late, for it is as true as Holy Writ, that 

 he who once loses his grip on city life and busi- 

 ness, seldom, if ever, gets his grip again. Every 

 city is full of men past the middle age of life who 

 have lost their grip. Their positions have slipped 

 away by reason of age, incompetency, or the 

 crowding out process, and they are now members 

 of that great army of derelicts upon the sea of 

 city business, drifting hither and thither without 

 sail or compass, unable to make a safe and secure 

 harbor. 



This is the great city tragedy that can only be 

 cleared away by landing these derelicts upon the 

 smaller farms. And the study and adaptation of 

 a plan by which it can be done is the greatest and 

 most philanthropic work that can engage any mind 

 or capital. For the doing of this thing will re- 

 lieve much of the distress and misery of the city, 

 and contributes much to the greatness of our 



