The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-13
FARMING as A CHILLING
ADVICE To YOUNG MEN WITH MOD
crate CAPITAL TO CONSIDER 1T.
The Business Offers Profit as Well as
Pleasure TO the Progressive,
Up-to-Date Man.



The generally accepted. and by no means
incorrect, idea OF the gentleman farmer
Is man OF large means, who purchases
generous tract Of land, erects buildings
thereon without regard TO their cost, &C
quires the "fanciest' breeds OF cattle and
horses, and. installing over his farm a
manager TO take practical care Of what he
himself understands nothing about, from
that time goes on rejoicing If the deficit OF
one year is not larger than that Of its
predecessor. A good deal is heard OF this
kind OF farming. and because OF the at
tention given in recent years TO the aban-
doned farms OF New England, and the po-
hticaI discomfort OF the farming class, the
idea is almost universal among persons
who are not farmers that farming never
pays" except in the case of large grow
ers OF grain in the West in fortunate years;
while the taking up OF agriculture as
paying occupation by young man not
farm-bor is almost unheard OF.
1t may be questioned. however, whether
there is any field which to-day offers
more attractive opening for the young man
OF moderate capital. a practical turn OF
mind. and love OF rural life than does farm
ing. One trouble In making this understood
comes from the fact that the field is so
neglected by the class TO which IL ought TO
appeal that IL is difficult to find examples
OF the success that is possible, with which
10 convince unbelievers. How many sons
OF men doing business in the big cities or
their suburbs take farming into considera-
ton when discussing their future occupa-
ton? The word to them means isolation.
the rugged work OF holding a plough, which
they are too cid TO learn, even If they
wanted TO. and bare living, even IL they
make ends meet. What IL may mean is
larger income from the investment than
the best bonds in the market will pay; life
IN the country, where natural, and, 10 some
extent. social surroundings may be Sc
lected; the satisfaction or seeing the
suits of the application OF study and scien-
tifc work TO matters which the average
farmer let's drift along in his ancestors
way; and the same pleasure which comes
from the sense of growing with ones &C.
cupauon In any profession or city calling.
IL the truth OF all this could be impressed
on young men. many life that is dragged
out behind a city desk might be passed
with greater pleasure and greater profit,
and agriculture would receive signal bene-
ut from such an accession of farmers who
brought 10 their tasks broader education
and a desire TO do better with their land
than their predecessors.
While these statements are based upon
practical experience, IL Is impossible TO
present the subject in its most favorable
light in the narrow column of a newspaper.
A few OF the requisites of success may be
briefly stated The young man who would
look on farm life as that of a country
prison should not buy any land. Love of
ones calling is prime requisite of sue
cess. Having decided after sufficient prac-
teal inquiry into the subject, that he would
enjoy the occupation, let him make a prac-
teal selection of his farm, not going so far
from home friends that he might become
homesick at the start, and locating with
q view to the accessibility of the market TO
which he must look for the profit that he is
to keep constantly in view. While 1t is not
necessary that he should hold plow or
do other manual work on his farm himself,
IL is necessary that he should possess prac-
teal knowledge of many farm processes.
and he will not farm for pleasure" if he
does not No scientific farm manager"
at a salary larger than the owner could
earn in a counting room, is to be contern-
plated. The owner may, and probably
should, have a tenant, a practical farmer
In the field, with whom he will establish
some kind Of proft-Sharing arrangement;
but he himself should be the general who
does the larger planning OF the annual
campaign.
The average farmer east of the Alleghan-
les. the man who works the farm his father
did. or at least follows the calling of his
ancestors, is rarely in any sense a student
OF his business. We could name a county
In State near New York, in which milk
production is the almost universal farm in
dustry, but in which. nevertheless, so fun
production a silo Is a curiosity. We
could name district similarly situated
which has been farmed for generations.
but in which the drying of wet field by
burying little earthen drains was never
heard of until a student farmer, of the
class we are discussing. gave his neighbors
an example Of the process. When piece
of this work was finished and had done
what II was expected TO do a venerable
neighbour who had known the field a
marsh from his boyhood, paid the innova-
4w.1f~ - anln rfFa
wouldn't have believed IL If had not seen
It." We could name an instance in which
the same student farmer. by insisting on
sowing field with a seed better than the
old-establshed clover and timothy, pro-
duced from that single field in one year
more hay than the whole farm produced
the year before.
How this amount of practical knowledge
shall be acquired is for each student 10
determine The agricultural college, the
really model farm, home study--all these
are helpful. The foundation knowledge rs
within any ones reach. That acquired.
the measure of success must rest with the
Individual Farm work is dependent en-
tirely on experiment. Farmers know what
crops will grow in their latitude. and how
best 10 grow them. either from their own
experiments or from those OF men who
have long grown them Therein Is the field
in which superior intelligence has its adj
vantage. In department OF agriculture
Is this superiority more manifest n the re-
suits than in fruit farming. II may be
and-hay farmer will not make a success in
growing fruit. The care which a fruit tree
requires-the pruning. cultivating and fer
tilizing before (and after. too il becomes
Of bearing age-overtax his patience and
his faith IL is possible to point out within
fifty miles Of this city. acres Of fruit trees
which might have made large returns TO
their owners with proper care. but which
have been given over 10 grubs and grass. "a
positive waste Of time and money. To the
Intelligent farmer, with a love of nature.
no branch of his calling can give greater
pleasure than the care OF fruit trees and
the gathering and marketing OF the crops.
and the financial return for generous and
Intelligent culture will be very satisfactory.
II once the current could be turned in the
direction we have indicated. and a large
enough class Of young. successful gentle
men farmers" could DE established to Sc
cure recognition and attention. there would
be no lack of imitators. Meanwhile. the
field Is open TO the pioneers. who will have
the less TO contend with in the way of COM
petition. and who may have the satisfac-
ton OF feeling that their success will be OF
benefit TO others than themselves.
Thought He Had Appendicitis.
New Orleans Times-Democrat.
"Apropos OF appendicitis" said a ply