24 THE SMALL COUNTRY PLACE 



If he peddles, he must give up a large amount of time 

 that is valuable in growing the crops, and it is very diffi- 

 cult to hire men who will do either the garden work or 

 the peddling well, except under the eye of the owner. 



There is at the present time a tendency in all lines of 

 business to combine producing large quantities or culti- 

 vating large areas under one management. The small 

 farmer is not exempt from this necessity of combining 

 with others to obtain the greatest profit, but by doing his 

 own work largely and supplying the consumer at first 

 hand he may retain his independence and receive reason- 

 able compensation for his labor. By cooperation in the 

 purchase and use of modern machinery, fertilizers, and 

 supplies, the protection of crops from insects and fungous 

 pests, the small farmers may be more successful finan- 

 cially and still be men of broad and varied training and 

 not the narrow, mere machines which those who work for 

 large corporations are likely to become. Specializing in 

 farming is as much a necessity as in other callings, for the 

 best results. The man who devotes his whole time to 

 growing asparagus, strawberries, or apples, will be sure to 

 grow a better product than if a large number of crops are 

 grown, but he runs the risk of losing all by the destruc- 

 tion of the crop by insects, frosts, or unfavorable 

 weather. We should have one or more sure money crops 

 and take our chances with two or three more that under 

 favorable conditions, prompt effort and skill on our part 

 are generally profitable. Thus asparagus, apples, and 

 strawberries are reasonably sure to be profitable under 

 fair treatment, while peaches, grapes, celery, squashes, 

 etc., are more dependent upon weather conditions and 

 may sometimes fail even with our best efforts. 



A location near markets has many advantages. If 

 within easy driving distance one can be frequently in the 

 markets, keep their condition closely in mind and sell 



