34 THE LURE OF THE LAND 



manure, without a knowledge of any deficiency in 

 plant food that his field has, without the knowledge that 

 the leguminous crops can increase the store of nitrogen, 

 without the knowledge that certain crops, such as the 

 leguminous, will not grow in an acid soil, without the 

 knowledge of the kind and quantity of so-called commer- 

 cial fertilizers he can buy, is a man who starts out on his 

 career with a certainty of defeat staring him in the 

 face. 



To succeed to-day on the farm requires courage, in- 

 dustry, tact, knowledge, patience, enthusiasm and 

 brains. As S. E. Kiser says in his poem " Where 

 Brains Are Needed " : 



" I claim it takes more brains to farm," said Ebenezer Brown, 

 " Than what it does to git ahead and make a splash in town ; 

 Why, I know six or seven chaps from this here neighborhood 

 Who went away to cities, where they 're busy makin' good. 



" You take Chicago and New York size up the big men 



there 



The lawyer, doctor, merchant and the multimillionaire 

 You '11 find they 've all been farmer boys, or lived in towns, 



at least, 

 Where they could have a chance to learn the ways of bird 



and beast. 



" Now take these city chaps who come to cultivate the land 

 I don't mean millionaires who farm for fun, you under- 

 stand 



But take the common city folks who try to farm, and say! 

 It's pitiful the way they try to make their farmin' pay. 



" I 've saw a dozen of 'em fail ; I never seen one yet 

 Who managed to be prominent or not get into debt ; 

 And so I claim a man may make an awful splash in town 

 And not have brains enough to farm," said Ebenezer Brown. 



