376 Wisconsin state agricultural society. 
fertility of his soil, improve the buildings and increase his live 
stock, but if he do this at the cost of his own health or that of his 
family, at the cost of his own or their happiness, at the cost of his 
own true manhood, he is not a successful farmer in any true sense. 
I recall an instance of a farmer who, some twenty-five years 
since, began farming in Wisconsin with one, or two, or three 
thousand dollars, and who, through persistent good farming, has 
now 1,200 acres of good land near a thriving city, and who is 
worth more than $100,000. This is pecuniary success. I am 
glad to believe this is a case of good success in other things than 
money making. I know a man who a few years since began mar¬ 
ket gardening in northern Wisconsin, and who has steadily in¬ 
creased his yearly sales, until last year they reached more than 
$6,000 from thirteen acres, giving a very fair profit for himself and 
family, and who has around him his family of seven boys, all in¬ 
terested in this work, I believe all in good health, and forming a 
happy, contented, intelligent family. I count this success. 
All over this or any other state may be found farmers owning 
100 or 200 or 300 acres of land, more or less, who can look back 
at the end of each five or ten years and see they are worth more 
in money-than at the commencement; that they have a more at¬ 
tractive home and more of the comforts of life; who are intelli¬ 
gent, Christian men, and who rear intelligent, Christian families r 
who are honored and respected, and who have a fair share of the 
good things of this life. These men are successful, as I under¬ 
stand success. There are many such ; would there were more. 
Let us remember that farming is a business; a regular, legiti¬ 
mate business, occupation, profession if you will; subject to the 
same laws and to the same contingencies and fluctuations as other 
callings; requiring the exercise of the same faculties, in the main, 
as other pursuits, and that the elements of success in it are, most 
of them, identical with those which command success in other 
vocations. Remember too that the chief object of the farmer is 
to produce and to sell. He is not a merchant nor a speculator. To 
produce his crops most economically and to sell them so as to se¬ 
cure the largest net returns, should be his main object. Once 
again bear in mind that the farmer is not a slave, not a servant, 
not a hired laborer. He is a business man, working for himself, 
