GENERAL FARM MANAGEMENT. 33 



and get half the crop. There is no settled rule as to whether 

 the landlord is to take his wheat in the shock or bushel, or his 

 corn in field or crib, but this is a matter of agreement. If the 

 tenant has no privileges, he is usually paid for this part of the 

 work, but where the landlord can furnish him a house, garden , 

 and cow pasture, the tenant usually will deliver in crib or 

 bushel the landlord's share of the crop. It is often best for the 

 farmer to first try renting out his farm on the thirds till he sees 

 how the plan suits him, for then, if he wishes to farm it again 

 himself, he has his stock and tools. If he is pleased with the 

 plan, he can in a year or two sell these and rent on the halves. 

 The plan of renting on the thirds often gives some industrious, 

 enterprising young man a chance to get a start in life and rise 

 above the condition of a laborer, and I have been surprised to 

 find so large a number of our best farmers who began life in 

 this way. The first five hundred dollars I ever possessed I 

 made by cropping on the thirds on my father's farm. I would 

 urge this plan upon the prosperous farmer who has passed 

 middle life, for to me there is no more pitiable sight than that 

 of a man broken down with hard work when but little past his 

 prime, painfully dragging through the heavy labors of the farm 

 long after his financial condition is such that he can afford rest 

 and recreation. To all such I would say, God gives a man but 

 one journey through life, and if we make this life similar to that 

 of a galley slave, we shall have no opportunity to go back and 

 correct mistakes. 



A careful study of this subject of farm management shows 

 that brains on the farm count for more than muscle, and that 

 success depends more an a systematic plan, wisely chosen and 

 faithfully executed, than on physical labor. 



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