120 HAPPY HOLLOW FARM 



band their two-bit pieces carefully. Some have 

 failed who could talk book- farming glibly; 

 some have succeeded who at the beginning 

 couldn't tell the difference between a "middle 

 buster" and a corn planter. Some have failed 

 who were at the height of youthful vigor; some 

 have succeeded who were gray and time- 

 seamed. At first glance there doesn't seem to 

 be any rule for it ; but when you think over it, 

 it has come out quite logically. Really there 

 isn't any mystery. 



At the very bottom of success in every one 

 of these cases has been that gift of mind that's 

 called initiative. In spite of the load of abuse 

 it's had to carry lately, that word still has life 

 and meaning in it. In this case it means abil- 

 ity to slough old habits of thinking and to do 

 fresh, vigorous thinking to fit new conditions 

 of life and work. A preacher or a dentist or 

 a lawyer who turns farmer must quit thinking 

 in terms of theology or dentistry or law and 

 begin thinking in terms of the soil. He must 

 be able to adapt himself, not only bodily but 

 mentally. If he can do that, he's started on 

 the right road; if he can't, he's running up a 

 blind alley. This isn't the place for giving ex- 

 amples and illustrations. You'll just have to 



