The Florida agriculturist., 1907-09-25
I'll tell more of this story when
you get over this.
Bill P.
The Young Farmers Opportunity

he OuHS Z dI I11C1 OPPOAe
The following editorial from The
California Cultivator tells the secret
of success. Do not leave the farm;
learn to "1abor and to wait"
A number of years ago, writes
contributor to The Spokesman Re-
view, middle-aged man was cross
ing the Atlantic to one of the worlds
fairs in Europe He was harness
maker from Canada. Before the voy-
age was over something or other led
him to relate his early experience at
his trade. He said it was long and
hard pull for him to accumulate his
first thousand dollars. He worked
sixteen and eighteen hours day in
his shop the year through, with the
exception of fortnight in the winter,
which he devoted to the Canadian
sport of curling on the ice. He had
finally arrived where he could take
life little easier and was combining
business with pleasure on his trans
atlantic tour
The other day a farmer remarked
that his income, after paying the ex-
penses of the farm, and not including
his living that is to say, his net in
come-was about $500 or $500 year.
He added, significantly, also, that he
was out Of debt He has only twenty
five acres of land, and of this only
fifteen are under cultivation. Out of
thousands Of clerks and even business
and professional men IN town how
many can count on laying by $500
or $500 in cash everv year?
But to return to the farmer with
the twenty-five acres. This man
started out fourteen years ago with
out any cash to speak of, and before
he began to arrive on Easy street he
had hard pull during a series OF
years Like the Canadian harness
maker, the first thousand dollars came
exceedingly slow. Both, however,
hung to it like grim death until sue
cess was achieved. There can be no
better definition than that Of the
young man who by patience, industry
and intelligence through the years OF
early manhood becomes established
in a business or profession which
yields him a good living and nets
him an income which he lays by for
future contingencies.
The Canadian harness maker, the
farmer of a few acres, the profession
al or business man-all are on the
same footing when it comes to work
ing out the problem of success. The
same traits are necessary in each, the
same patience.
Away back in a New England vii
lage there lived fatherless boy, who,
exceedingly early in life, was obliged
to aid in the support of the mother
and younger sisters. He found en-
p1oyment with a hard-headed and
stony-hearted descendant Of the Puri-
tans His young life was anything
but one of pleasure. Somehow or
other a good angel whispered in his
ear the old-time phrase, "to labor
and to wait" When this young man
had attained success in his chosen
vocation he remarked one day that
all through those years Of long hours
and unremunerative work he was con-
stantly saying to himself "to labor
and to wait.
Any Young farmer who is willing
to labor and to wait, applying himself
industriously, keeping his brain as
we'll as his body active, is on the road
to success. Such young man will
find no time to lament his condition,
to bewail the times, to rant about the
rich and the poor; for his eye is fixed
on the mark of the prize before him.
There is more money in Florida
sweet potatoes than in Florida poll
tics and if we had more of the former
Of 41oo 1o4+