66 THE FARMER OF TO-MORROW 



keeper and had to buy a ticket to hear himself 

 lecture. 



Farmers' Bulletin No. 511, on farm book- 

 keeping, recently issued, ventures the as- 

 sertion : 



"There is reason to believe that the majority 

 of farmers are really living on the interest of 

 their investment rather than on the profits of 

 their farms." 



And again: 



"Many farmers would be better off finan- 

 cially if they sold their farms, loaned the 

 money at five per cent, and hired themselves 

 out at current wages." 



These statements may be true, except for 

 one factor the writer overlooks the social 

 value of land. If he had said that the farmer 

 would be better off if he rented his land, even 

 on the usual unbusinesslike basis of "shares," 

 and hired himself out at current wages, then 

 he would have broached a glittering possibility. 

 No matter what the Farmer of Yesterday 

 does, he must "hang on" no matter whether 

 he works his acres at the antiquated sunshine- 

 and-rain rate or lets some one else do it for 

 him. The American farmer has doubled his 



