480 AGRICULTURE. 



and burdens the city. Such people forget that less than three 

 out of each hundred business men succeed. They little dream 

 of the ceaseless, brain-racking, nerve-destroying labor that awaits 

 the one who plunges into the whirlpool of modern business. 

 The impecunious, briefless lawyer ; the half-starved, patientless 

 doctor ; the churchless preacher ; and the tramping mechanic, 

 seem to make no impression upon the calculations or intentions 

 of the man or boy who has become dissatisfied with farm life 

 some succeed, but it is the exception and not the rule. 



It is unnecessary and quite impossible to give anything but 

 general advice upon the subject of farm duties. It might be 

 well to say that the judgment of the farmer should always be 

 supported by an intelligent consideration of all the surrounding 

 circumstances and conditions. With this rule for a guide, a 

 failure must be a matter of accident. The farm itself should be 

 purchased with judgment, its numerous adjuncts and its condi- 

 tion considered with care, and its labor applied and directed with 

 intelligence and discretion. While the profits of agriculture, 

 under favorable conditions, are quite sure, they are never large 

 enough to warrant the taking of many risks ; hence conservatism 

 is usually wise and generally brings better results. To this end, 

 and for this purpose, the farmer should seek for the best infor- 

 mation, which is only found in the recorded experiences of 

 others. 



Apart from any question of economy or interest, I would 

 strongly urge every man who finds it possible for him to do so, 

 and who means to end his days on a farm, to buy his land. Let 

 the farm be smaller, and even less convenient than he could 

 hire ; let him go in debt, if necessary ; but I deem him to be a 

 happier man who owns a small place, even with a mortgage for 

 his shadow, than he who, with better facilities for his daily occu- 

 pations, and better conveniences for his daily life, has hanging 

 before his eyes the fact that some day, when he is older and less 

 able to commence farming again, he must resign his improve- 

 ments to his landlord, turn his keys on his home, and pitch his 

 tent in strange fields. The question of economy, however, can- 

 not be set aside. There are many farmers who aim to see how 

 much money can be obtained from the land to invest in bonds 

 and mortgages ; but every man who means to take a broader 



