CHOOSING AND BUYING A FARM 531 



you find few tools, it is not an expensive farm to operate. 

 Know that with a farm, as with a man, however produc- 

 tive it may be, if it has the spending habit, not much will 

 be left over." 



A somewhat different point of view was expressed by 

 Xenophon. 



" For those who are able to attend to their affairs, 

 however, and who will apply themselves to agriculture 

 earnestly, my father both practiced himself and taught 

 me a most successful method of making profits, for he 

 would never allow me to buy ground already cultivated, 

 but exhorted me to purchase such as from want of care 

 or want of means in those who had possessed it, was left 

 untilled and unplanted. He used to say that well cul- 

 tivated land cost a great sum of money and admitted of 

 no improvement, and he considered that land which is 

 unsusceptible of improvement did not give the same 

 pleasure to the owner as other land, but he thought that 

 whatever a person had or bought up that was continually 

 growing better afforded him the highest gratification." 



Both points of view are good. If one is sure that he is 

 buying a " diamond in the rough " he may well buy a 

 neglected farm. He must, however, be sure that it is 

 really naturally good. 



340. Buying a farm. After one has decided on the 

 farm to buy, he should examine the abstract. Usually 

 the seller furnishes an abstract brought down to date. 

 If he does not do so, the buyer should have one made, as 

 he cannot afford to purchase a place without knowing 

 that the title is good. 



Frequently, a contract for sale is made before the 

 parties are ready to make the transfer. This contract 

 should be very explicit on all doubtful points. Growing 



