10 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



supply to the buildings and pastures during the whole of the 

 past very dry season. 



In conversation with Mr. Adams, we inquired of him if he 

 thought that he could have commenced life as a mechanic, 

 placing his small capital at interest, and been in equally good 

 circumstances as he is at the present time. He was decidedly 

 of the opinion that he could not have done it, and brought up 

 and cared for his family equally well. He ran in debt for his 

 farm, and then, instead of devoting his whole energies toward 

 immediately paying it off, by skinning his farm, he had the fore- 

 sight to purchase manure, thus getting still farther into debt, all 

 the time believing that in the end he could pay it all the easier. 



Here is where many an ambitious young farmer fails. They 

 make themselves slaves to the nightmare of a debt, imagining 

 that until it is paid they can do nothing for the farm or them- 

 selves. A small debt to an intelligent and energetic farmer is 

 not worth the loss of a night's sleep, while the opposite class, 

 who ought to be frightened by it, sleep on notwithstanding. 

 Many people have no faith in their own farming, as is evidenced 

 by the fact of their not investing any of their surplus earnings 

 in the business. If a farmer invests his money in corporative 

 stocks that pay but six per cent, dividends, it is simply a confes- 

 sion that that is the best use he can make of it, or, in other 

 words, he does not understand sufficiently his own pursuit, or 

 has not confidence enough in it, to expect a return of six per 

 cent, for his outlays. Such people, we think, should leave farm- 

 ing for something else that offers greater inducements to them. 

 When a farmer runs in debt intelligently, it shows that he has 

 faith at least in his ability to get more than the legal rate of 

 interest through the use of his borrowed money ; and as long as 

 he is satisfied that he does so, he need have no fears of his ability 

 to pay in the end. 



Your Committee can but express the wish that there were 

 more farmers who had this faith, which they made their govern- 

 ing principle of action, in which case the Committee on Farms 

 would have their labors increased, and such men as Mr. Adams 

 might not always succeed in obtaining the first premium. 



For the Committee, 



Jabez Fisher, Chairman, 



