48 LEARN HOW TO GO BACK TO THE LAND 



ble values ; but the sphere of such influence must always 

 be within prescribed limits. 



The most important factor, perhaps, in demoralizing 

 prices of products, such as small fruits, is the farmer 

 grower who has but a small area devoted to their culture, 

 and who sells the surplus for what can be most readily- 

 obtained, by cutting prices to the limit. 



If the entire output of such stuff could be handled 

 through an exchange, extreme slumps in values, market 

 conditions extremely annoying to regular growers, might, 

 at times, be avoided, for such extreme lowering of prices 

 is ofttimes entirely unnecessary to make the demand keep 

 pace with supply. 



This manner of disposing of or preventing such unde- 

 sirable conditions is, however, beset with not a few obsta- 

 cles. To insure the success of such a plan requires 

 exceptional ability on the part of the promoters. 



As between the home and distant market, the former is 

 the safer proposition. So between the larger and smaller 

 centers of population, the former usually affords the safer 

 market. In deciding upon a location, then, these points 

 should be deeply considered. 



One of the most prominent school officials in the north- 

 west received his start in life as a result of a venture in 

 fruit growing. He was born on a farm in Michigan and 

 the conditions surrounding his boyhood days were hard. 

 The father and his two boys toiled early and late on a 

 farm of ioo acres. They had a poor bit of land, and both 

 crops and prices were disappointing. Debt hung over the 

 family like a pall. They could not sell their place at any 

 reasonable figure. One day the father said : 



"Boys, we'll either lose everything we have, or get out 

 of this rut. I know of sixty acres that would be just right 

 for fruit. We can buy it on easy terms, and by selling 

 off some of our stock we can make a fair payment." 



They took the place and set out ten acres of fruit trees 



