AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 



he sells, and again when he buys. This is not the highest 

 and best idea of living by farming. The first thing a 

 farmer should do is to surround himself in his farm home 

 with everything he can make or produce that will promote 

 the health, comfort, safety and pleasure of himself and 

 family. This is what the farm is for, first. And how few 

 good and needful things there be that may not be produced 

 and provided on a good farm and in and about a real farm 

 home ! I do not attempt to name the innumerable good 

 things of his own garden and orchard and field all prime, 

 fresh and exactly to his liking, which the provident farmer 

 may have if he can only get that idea of raising things to 

 sell out of his head or at least modified, and get that other 

 idea of producing things on his own farm for his own use. 

 If farmers everywhere would think first and work first to 

 provide for their wants on their own farms, then they 

 might be able to set the price on the surplus they have to 

 sell. Then the surplus would not be so overwhelming in 

 volume. Then there might be competition among the buy- 

 ers of his surplus. The consumer might not then be so 

 able as now to sit complacently waiting to be solicited to 

 buy this enormous surplus at his own price. The railroad 

 people then might take on better manners and be willing to 

 give a more nearly just rate, and they might be more care- 

 ful to give good service. 



The farmer with the right idea of farming and of farm 

 life and of farm opportunities, is the man I have most faith 

 in to curb trusts and corporations generally such as need 

 curbing. 



The makers of machines and implements and of barbed 

 wire and of all that sort of thing, cannot eat their stuff 

 they must sell to get any good out of their product. They 

 cannot live at all without selling. But the right kind of a 

 farmer can live a long time without selling his product he 

 can eat it and live. Suppose the other fellow asks of you an 

 exorbitant price for his wares. Just let him keep them a, 

 while, or try to keep them. They can't keep them, because 

 they can't eat them ; and to get something to eat, they must 

 sell. But you, my farmer friends, can keep yours a while 



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