No. 4.] BUSINESS SIDE OF AGRICULTURE. 85 



that he get a spraying machine and rig that up and spray 

 the buildings. As soon as he got the spraying machine at 

 work he said, " That is business." His idea of business was 

 doing something in a quicker, better and more economical 

 way. We know that some people can take a piece of paper 

 and make a few marks and have a beautiful sketch. That is 

 art. If Vanderbilt should take a piece of paper and write 

 on it, " Pay fifty million dollars to the gypsy moth commit- 

 tee," you would all say " That is business." I may get 

 you mixed on these definitions, as I am myself. I was in 

 Maryland last week, and when I bought my ticket a young 

 gentleman also bought one. He evidently gave a large 

 bill in payment for it, and after he had taken the change he 

 turned and walked away, leaving the ticket. A friend took 

 the ticket to him and said, "I rather think you are absent- 

 minded ; you must be in love." The young man said, "No, 

 I'm not in love ; I'm married." You younger people will 

 not know what that means, but the older ones will. So 

 we may at times all get a little mixed on definitions. 



The strict definition of the term " business " is a mercantile 

 transaction. That is what we need in agriculture. We need 

 to use our brains, and use them from the business stand- 

 point, as all business men have to do to succeed. I have 

 said before that from force of circumstances the farmer is a 

 capitalist, is a laborer and is a business man all combined in 

 one. The farmer too often forgets that he is anything but a 

 laborer. The farmer as a rule has been working too hard 

 and thinking too little. Some of you will think of your 

 neighbors, and say that they have not been working too hard, 

 that you think they would do better if they worked a little 

 harder. A good German friend once said to me, "I like 

 you pretty well ; I think you have a good farm, but, if 

 you will excuse an old man for suggesting, I would like 

 to say that I think you would do better if you stayed at 

 home a little more." His idea was to stay at home and 

 work, and he has made considerable success ; but I have 

 made more on the farm in ten years than he has in twenty, 

 and have had a heap more of fun. 



It is the business of the farmer to work and to think. He 

 can get more for mind than for muscle. The cheapest labor 



