La Junta tribune., 1910-12-24

Is yet far from being reached. There
Is little chance TO ios~ money On iand
provided II Is wisely Invested II Is the
lack Of knowledge Of what constitutes
a good farm that uiukes land AN I'm
safe investment FOR the city u,an
There may be some honest land
agents. but unfortunately they have no
trademark to distinguish them from
the other variety. To buy iaud with.
out seeing Il Is painless way Of part.
Ing with hard EARNED money A. for
the promised profits they usually nnd
their way to the pockets Of the land
agent. leaving the investor y sadder
and wiser man
Between 1850 and 1900 the average
Increase In the value of the farm md
In the Unit'd States was IS per cent.
Between 1860 and 1910 much Of the
land In the western part Of the Missls-
sippi valley doubled In value. With q
system OF farming that keeps up the
fertility prices VIII 60 higher rather
than lower
The man who owns q farm has con.
tinual opportunities to put bis money
into better fences. better stock and
better buildings He has opportunities
to invest In more land at home or far
rher west
From financial standpoint farming
offers opportunities to young men that
are duplicated In few other caliinyS.
10
its ranks are still far from full The
young farmer Is not entering an over
crowded calling where he must com
bine with his fellows and boos, prices
unnaturnlly IN order to make a bare
living. In agriculture there are room
and opportunity for all The country
is throbblng with the vitality Of a new
awakened life. The password Is ambi-
ti0n. and the reward Is success
II is not the call Of money alone that
is turning the AMBITIOUS young man
TO the farm calling that eau oner
no reward but financial one Is scarce.
IS worthy OF the name The chief call
of the city has been the call of the dol.
lar combined with the call OF the
crowd Better roads and q denser pop
ulatioD have enabled the country to
offcr n social life which is superior to
that OF the city Higher prices and
scientific methods have enabled II TO
duplicate the financial rewards OF the
city In addition. II Offers to the young
man the opportunity to live the broad
est. fullest life OF which he Is capa bic
II offers him business he can cali his
own and an independence which he
could gain In the city only after a life
lime Of toll. The greatest need OF
most rural communities jus, now Is
iraders-men who can demonstrate on
their own farms the possibilities of
scientific agriculture: men who under
stand the possibilities and the need of
n broader community life.
The stories OF some OF the Young
mcn who h,-rdei the call Of the coun-
try aud gave themselves TO the dev-i
upmeui Of their community read like
rOmances A dozen years or so ago a
little Massachusetts community was on
the dowuhlll road. The nearby cities
had Slapped II Of its strength and Wig
or iniudicious cropping had taken
away much Of the fertility Of the
soil. aud the people had lost all ambi
ton and were content TO let things
drift from bad TO worse About this
time young man. . son Of one Of the
farmers, graduated from an agrtcui.
turni college. lie received . tempting
offer from the department Of aEricul-
ture TO take up work n Washington
A brother iD Iowa wrote him . glow
Ing Invitation 10 come to the fertile
lands Of the middle west lie rejected
both ofYcr and went home
The most optimistic resident would
have laughed Al the Idea " there h<N
Ing any opportunity there Hut the
young man went to work. He did not
lecture to the nciHhbor> or advi-~
them lie merely set out TO show them
what the Impoverished land was ca.
pable Of lie made the old farm pay.
and Its dilapdmtion changed to an air
OF prosperity. His n~ighbors gradually
begnn TO follow his methods aud TO
catch some Of his spirit. The commu.
nity started TO go forward instead VI
backward As soon ~ he could spAre
the time from his farm the yoang
farmer set about Hxnisinr the VII.
laRe srbool HS RHve one ss,tt,sr Of