PART IV. 

 FARM MANAGEMENT. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

 THE BUSINESS OF FARMING. 



Changes in Farming. Young men and, indeed, older 

 people who live in the city of to-day scarcely realize the 

 great change that is taking place in American country life 

 and the farmer's business. In fact, so many new principles 

 are being introduced that persons who have been off the 

 farm only a few years have no idea of the modern ways of 

 doing things by up-to-date methods. To be sure, there are 

 some things which have not changed, but there have been 

 radical changes along the lines which concern and affect the 

 financial side of the business. 



Some Causes. Most of these changes 'nave been brought 

 about through the instruction along advanced lines given 

 by State agricultural colleges; by the farmers' institutes; 

 in bulletins from the State experiment stations and the 

 United States Department of Agriculture, and, as a corollary 

 of all this, the improvement of farm papers and magazines. 

 The United States Government does more to advance the 

 interests of agriculture than is done for other lines of edu- 

 cation by the four largest universities in America. Many 

 legislative changes have been made tending toward the 

 improvement of the rural classes. The increase in American 

 export trade has done much to advance the price of farm 

 produce. 



As prices for land advance and competition increases, it 

 becomes necessary to adopt the most modern methods of 

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