The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-10-06
THE BOY THAT STAYS ON THE
FARM.
What Shall He Dor

Ii the man who owns his farm aud is
out Of debt, has hard time, what
chance has the young man who has no
farm, to be farmer? There are four
things be can do-rent farm, buy a
farm, hire out as 8 hired man, or get a
position as a farm manager. The ten
ant OF to day has q hard time, uOless
he has kind hearted landlord. Just
think Of j. ! A man hires a farm,
agrees to pay 50 much for the use of it,
and goes to work. He has to support
his family and pay the rent with prices
where they are. He has a hard lot
he may strike something, if he reads
Tho Rural New Yorker, which will en-
able him to make a good living and pay
his rent. The way it ought to be, is
this: II we'll to do man owns farm
which he wants some one to carry en-,
he should hire man to do it. Pay
him enough so that he can support his
family. But" says the owner, II
cannot get the interest on my invest
ment." What right have you to squeezs
it out Of poor tenant? But the ten
ant will not do we'll, if I hire him"
Then either get one who will do we'll,
or do something with your farm be
sides use it to fleece poor men, women
and children.
Except under certain favorable cir
cumstances, renting farms ia the poor
Ct kO
annually, he becomes a sort Of tramp
with his wife and children. Five year
leases, when the tenant has en- oppor
tunity of making living besides pay,
ing the rent, and, perhaps, being able
to lay up something is the only right
way of renting. A farm owner ought
to be satisfied with half interest, or
none at all, these times. II he isn't let
him carry on the farm himself.
Buying farm at present, unless you
can pay down for it, is very risky bust
ness. Even the German, with his "A
children all CD at work, fuds it hard
to meet his payments. I should hate
to be in the clutches Of a hard hearted
mortgage holder now, and I would not
advise any young man to venture it
until prices rise, unlcs9 he has the
| knaCk and enterprise and skill to take
up paying line and push it to the
end. But, eli the same, it is risky put
ting all your capital into farm, pay
ing taxes on what you owe as we'll as
on what you own, and keeping up in
terest and payments.
The great trouble about being hired
man is the lack Of cottages on farms.
Most farmers want q single man, and
want him to live in the family. It is
vastly better to have a married man
live in neat cottsge and board at
home. It saves the farmers wife lots
of trouble, and it enables her to get
help often tim s from the hired mans
wife. How much better it is to hire a
good, steady, Industrious, married
man to work On the farm, than to en-,
gage some half tramp character who
happens to com9 along. Think of tax
| ing such men into family where there
are. women and children, the farmer
going away on business 8, etc, and leav-
ing them with such a person, perhaps
| 8 day Or two.
A nice little house, not too far IF, Or
too near the farm house, is fine trap
to catch q good hired man. When a
farmers boy becomes old enough to
get married and leave home, what could
be more attractive than such cottage
with steady work for himself. and oc
c8sional work for his wife7 If the farm
needs more men, there should be more
cottages. This is the best solution Of
the hired man question, and the What
shall the farmer boy do?" question. II
he can get steady work, a good home,
and fair wages, even if he cannot lay
up much, he is well IF as things now
are.
OF course, the best place for the
farmer boy, if he cannot own farm,
is to manage a farm or estate. But this
requires brains, knowledge, education;
these should command good salary.
Farm superintendents and managers
are wanted to take charge of large
farms, and it is well for enterprising
boys to fit themselves for such places.
j. W. Newton, in Rural New Y orker.
HUMUS FOR LIGHT SOILS.
FIR those Soils that are 1ipht or sandy