38 WE FARM FOR A HOBBY 



lights in and survive. Without recourse to the 

 revolting optimism of a Pollyanna one may still 

 take a cheerful view of farm life. Instead of hang- 

 ing yourself in the expectation of plenty, how 

 much better to string along with that ancient or- 

 chardist who cried: 



"Forward in the name of God: Plant, graft and 

 nourish up trees in your ground; the labor is small, 

 the cost is nothing, the commodity is great; yourselves 

 shall have plenty, the poor shall have somewhat in 

 time of want, and God shall reward your good merits 

 and diligence." 



The labor is small, the cost is nothing, the com- 

 modity is great. There is a story of the Jewish 

 schoolboy who did homage to the man who in- 

 vented interest. My obeisance is to the man who 

 thought of putting nature to work for him. 



Nature will give you the advantage of one or 

 more bumper crops every year if you give her a 

 chance. The law irreverently limits the phrase "act 

 of God" to disastrous affairs. The farmer who di- 

 versifies as much as possible, aiming always first 

 at home use, will find the unexpected acts of God 

 more often than not beneficent. For diversification 

 is a kind of insurance, a division of risk. And if 

 you are to produce for your own use you must 

 diversify. It was no tragedy last year that all but 

 eight young ducks perished in a sleet storm on the 



