Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-09-21

is yet far from being reached. There
is little chance to lose money on land
provided IL is wisely invested. Ii is the
lack of knowledge of what constitutes
q good farm that makes land an I'M
safe investment for the city man.
There may be some honest land
agents, but unfortunately they have no
trademark to distinguish them from
the other variety. To buy land with
out seeing 1t is painless way Of part
ing with hard earned money. As for
the promised profits they usually End
their way TO the pockets Of the land
ageni, leaving the investor a sadder
and wiser man
Between 400 and 1906 the average
increase In the value Of the farm land
In the United States was IS per cent.
Between 1900 and 1910 much of the
land in the western part Of the Missis-
sippi valley doubled in value With a
system OF farming that keeps up the
fertility prices will so higher rather
than lower.
The man who owns a farm has con-
tinuai opportunities to put his money
into better fences. better stock and
better buildings. He has opportunities
to invest in more land at home or far
ther west.
From a financial standpoint =, ~ming
offers opportunities TO young men that
are duplicated in few other callings.
Farming as a profession is new, and
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 boost prices
unnaturally in order to make a bare
living. In agriculture there are room
and opportunity for ALL The country
is throbbing with the vitality of a new
awakened life. The password is ambi-
ton, and the reward is success.
1t is not the call of money alone that
is turning the ambitious young man
to the farm. A calling that can offer
no reward but financial one is scarce
~ 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 denscr pop
ulation have enabled the country to
offer social life which is superior to
that of the city. Higher prices and
scientific methods have enabled IL to
duplicate the financial rewards of the
city. In addition, It offers to the young
man the opportunity TO live the broad
est. fullest life OF which he is capable.
1t offers him business he can call his
own and an independence which he
could gain in the city only after life
time of toll. The greatest need of
most rural communities just now is
leaders-men who can demonstrate on
their own farms the possibilities of
scientific agriculture; men who under
stand the possibilities and the need OF
broader community life.
The stories OF some Of the young
men who needed the call of the coun-
try and gave themselves to the devel-
opment of their community read like
romances. a dozen years or so ago a
little Massachusetts community was on
the downhill road. The nearby cities
had Slapped 1t of its strength and Wig
or. Injudicious cropping had taken
away much Of the fertility of the
soil, and the people had lost all ambi-
ton and We're content 10 let things
drift from bad TO worse. About this
time a young man, son OF one of the
farmers, graduated from an agricul-
tura! college. He received tempting
offer from the department of agricul-
ture to take up work at Washington.
A brother in Iowa wrote him a glow
ing invitation to come to the fertile
lands of the middle west He rejected
both offers and went home.
The most optimistic resident would
have laughed at the idea of there be-
ing any opportunity there. But the
young man went to work. He did not
lecture to the neighbors or advise
them. He merely set out to show them
what the impoverished land was ca
pable of. He made the old farm pay.
and its dilapidation changed to an air
of prosperity. His neighbors gradually
began TO follow his methods and to
catch some of his spirit. The cOmmu-
nifty started to go forward instead of
backward rs soon as he could spare
the time from his facm the young
farmer SET about recognizing the vii
lage school He gave one corner OF