Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-06-15
euloeeoARp FOR CITY MEN BUYING
FARMS.
A MISTAKE TO BuY TOO MUCH LAND.
LEARNING A NEW TRADE IN MID
DIE LIFE.-TRuE INDEPENDENCE.

There are many people and many
classes Of people whose situation In life
Is such as to excite the sympathy and
| pity of those who know them, but OF all
the unfortunates come In contact with
find few that pity more than the city
mechanic, who, having saved few hum
dred dollars to buy home for his de-
clining years, goes into the country
| with no experience 10 farm matters and
buys a place costing two or three times
the amour, he can pay at the time Of the
purchase. Even were he fair judge
of the value of farm property, and had
some idea Ms to its management, the fact
that the place must be mortgaged to Sc
cure the unpaid balance, and that inter-
est must be paid to retain possession of
the part paid for, the savings OF the best
part OF life time, presents picture that
10 me has far too much shadow for the
sunshine.
To learn a trade when on the down.
hill side of life, to learn 1t chiefly
through experience, to bear all the losses
due 10 ignorance. Is An undertaking that
may come out all right, but II IL a lot
terry In which there are too many blanks
for the prizes.
The mistake that most such buyers
make Is In buying too large place and
running In debt for what Is not needed
and probably will never be used, or II
used not in way TO bring any profit.
There has never been time when
man, finding he had outgrown the small
farm. could not find larger one that he
could get In exchange by paying the
difference In value. Few persons have
yet learned the possibilities Of small
farm when worked TO its fullest capacity.
IL doesn't make so much difference
whether farm home Is one mile, three
miles or five miles from the "centre,"
as IL does whether the home Is pleasant
and happy when the owners get there.
City and village people riding through
the country are often heard TO say OF "A
country place, ~ would not live there
for the best farm ever seen," or "Noth-
ing could hire me TO live In such an out
of-the- way place" They do not know
that families may have occupied these
places who may be counted among the
most prosperous and happy OF human
beings. Men Of wealth 10 cities do not
go back and buy the old homesteads
where they spent their boyhood days
out OF spite. No, they hope to live over
again some OF the joys OF those early
dsys. They feel that they owe some
thing 70 that old country homestead.
Perhaps that To IL they owe for all that
they themselves are.
would not make the sweeping state
ment that no one should run in debt
even for a farm; there may be cases
where one can buy safely, owe for near
iy the whole and give good security. In
such cases the buyers are persons OF ex-
perience, and know what they are doing.
City dwellers rarely have such expert
ence TO rely upon.
One OF the great mistakes the msjority
OF unsuccessful farmers make who have
been bred on farm Is In carrying more
land than they can manage at profit.
They pay taxes, and perhaps interest on
what returns no equivalent, and other
parts OF the farm have to carry the load.
whole. We used to hear great deal
about the "independent farmer" but no
farmer is independent who is in constant
fear OF one who holds better title than
his 10 the farm he has learned to call his
own. What Is done cannot we'll be un-
done. History can't be rubbed out like
figures on slate, but guide-boards can
be set up, warning notices can be posted
TO turn unfamiliar travellers from lurking
dangers. In this spirit these lines have
been written. | am glad to see city peo-
pie making homes Ia the country. To
me Il Is the only place where real home
can exist. But land alone does not con-
stitute home, and when one buys he
should guard against being too greedy.
Save something with which to make
what land you do buy worth keeping,
and furthermore possible to keep.-A.
W. Cheever in New England Farmer.