30 THE NEW BUSINESS OF FARMING 



to get a vacation, but this is merely another 

 way of stating that such farming does not pro- 

 vide work throughout the year. 



Insurance against crop failure is especially 

 important, because the risks are many. The 

 manufacturer buys his raw material, makes it 

 up into the finished product and sells that com- 

 pleted product. His risk is the chance that the 

 selling price may be below the cost of the 

 raw material plus the expense of finishing it. 

 Weather conditions cannot prevent him from 

 turning the crude article into the refined, and 

 he can insure himself against fire and strikes. 



The farmer puts his seed into the ground in 

 hopeful anticipation that weather and insects 

 will permit it to grow, that he will be allowed 

 to harvest the crop, and finally, that he will be 

 able to sell that crop at a price which will yield 

 a profit. Continued rains may rot the seed; 

 late frosts may kill the young shoots ; bugs may 

 devour the older plants; early freezes or hail- 

 storms may destroy the crop at the last mo- 

 ment; or wet weather may interfere with har- 

 vesting. 



