SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR CITY PERSONS 143 



he learns how to be of use, and as it becomes safe to trust him 

 with tools or stock, he will be worth a small wage. If one works 

 well, he will usually be paid all he is worth by the farmer or by 

 some neighbor who has observed his work. If the desire to farm 

 still persists after a year or two of farm work, at least a short 

 winter course should be taken at an agricultural college. If pos- 

 sible it is very much better to take a regular four-year college 

 course in agriculture. 



Farming for middle-aged persons. A decided change in busi- 

 ness is always a hazardous undertaking for any but young 

 men. The man who knows nothing about farming and who has 

 a family to support should be very cautious about leaving good 

 wages in a city and going to farming. Such changes have been 

 made with great success, but there have also been many severe 

 disappointments. 



One must learn the business before he can expect success in 

 any occupation, and in any business it is rather difficult to make a 

 living for a family while learning. Farming is manual labor. Very 

 few persons make a success of farming who are not workers as 

 well as managers, and these few persons nearly always come up 

 through the labor experience. If a middle-aged person has never 

 learned to do manual labor, such a change is still more difficult. 

 If the members of such a family are very sure that they desire to 

 go to farming, it is safer, if possible, to rent a small place in the 

 country and continue with the city occupation. Some chickens 

 and a cow can be kept, and a garden raised. The family can do 

 most of this work. The small enterprises can be increased, and, 

 if successful after a few years, it may be safe to leave the city 

 work and go to farming. 



Another safe method of procedure for a man with a family and 

 small means is to put his money in a savings bank and hire out 

 as a farm hand for at least a year before any of the money is 

 invested in farming. The amount of wages received will not be 

 very large, but the danger of losing the entire capital through 

 premature investment may be avoided. Until an able-bodied 

 person is able to earn good farm wages for someone else, he is 

 certainly not ready to direct a farm for himself no more so 



